Whanau hit streets for reunion

Thousands of people are expected to descend on Moerewa this weekend for the second Motown Streetwarz.

First held at Easter in 2012, the idea was to restore pride in the town and bring past and present inhabitants together.

One of the organisers, former Moerewa man Alb Barber, said the first Streetwarz drew as many as 4000 people with many whanau members taking the opportunity to return home from Australia for the town reunion.

This time he expected up to double that number. Some were coming from as far away as Dubai.

"Those who missed the last one are coming home to make sure they don't miss out again."

The three-day event sees the town's 22 streets divided up into eight zones, each of which chooses a team name, colour and chant. The teams then compete in netball, touch rugby, softball and kapa haka, aiming to be crowned Moerewa's best street at Sunday's prizegiving ceremony.

Streetwarz started with a powhiri at Otiria Marae yesterday morning, followed by a day of kids' sporting contests at Simson Park and a "dine and dance" for kaumatua and kuia. Each team had to pick one person from its street zone, past or present, to honour with a five-minute audiovisual tribute.

Today sees adults compete in sport from 8am to 4pm, while tomorrow starts with karakia at 8am followed by kapa haka contests from 9am to 4pm at Otiria Marae.

The prizegiving will take place at the flag station constructed on the village green next to BP.