'A new dawn': Governor General on first powhiri on Treaty grounds

Governor General Dame Patsy Redding. Photo / Getty Images.

Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy has described her first powhiri up at the Treaty grounds instead of Te Tii Marae as 'a new dawn.'

Reddy was welcomed onto the marae at the Treaty grounds this morning along with Chief Justice Sian Elias and other members of the judiciary.

She was led on by Titewhai Harawira, who has long taken the role of walking alongside the Prime Minister at Te Tii.

The powhiri in the lead up to Waitangi Day are being held on the formal Treaty grounds rather than Te Tii Marae this year after incidents at the lower marae over several years.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other ministers as well as National Party MPs will follow tomorrow.

Te Tii elder Kingi Taurua was among those in the front line of elders on the paepae welcoming her although he did not speak.

Reddy said the powhiri at the upper marae was "very special" and felt like a "new dawn."

"Perhaps it was just because it was my first one here. Maybe it's like that for all Governors General but I felt it was very special and I feel very honoured."

She was diplomatic about the decision by the Waitangi National Trust to remove it from Te Tii marae, saying her first visit to Te Tii Marae in 2017 had also been wonderful and she would be pleased to go to any marae where she was welcome.

"Te Tii was wonderful last year, that was my first experience of Waitangi so that was a korero with the people of Ngapuhi but they joined us today as well. So it was a real coming together."

Of the dignitaries to visit Waitangi only one has bucked the new order - Te Tii elder Kingi Taurua said Chief Justice Sian Elias went to Te Tii earlier in the day to be welcomed on prior to the powhiri at the Upper Marae.

He said it was protocol to be welcomed at the home marae of the region at Te Tii prior to going onto the Treaty grounds and he was "saddened" by the decision to move it.

Reddy also planted a pohutakawa sapling on the grounds next to those planted by former Governors General. As she planted, Titewhai Harawira told her she used to climb the Governor General trees for protests.

Reddy laughed and hoped her tree would be spared. "She's already agreed she's not going to climb the tree. Not at least until it gets big enough."

Reddy said Waitangi Day was special to her because it made her realise what was special about New Zealand.

"That's why I'm determined to do whatever I can to explain to people what Te Tiriti [The Treaty] means for New Zealanders and why we should be proud of it and why we need to understand it."

Lord Bledisloe had purchased the Treaty house and grounds at a time they were in private ownership and the Government of the day could not afford it. It was gifted to New Zealand.