Thousands of people attend Waitangi - Mō Te Arawa O Te Iwi, For The Love Of The People celebration in Rotorua. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Thousands of people attend Waitangi - Mō Te Arawa O Te Iwi, For The Love Of The People celebration in Rotorua. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Whether they were listening to the music, getting their face painted, shopping at stalls or enjoying food, locals say they are thrilled Waitangi Day is a positive time in Rotorua to bring together different cultures.
Waitangi - Mō Te Arawa O Te Iwi, For The Love Of The People,the official Waitangi Day celebration in Rotorua, boomed this year to feature double the food stalls and triple the arts and crafts stalls.
Thousands of people - some say up to 10,000 - poured through the entrance of the Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa carpark today. The offerings were intensified with the Night Market stalls moving from Tūtānekai St as a one-off for the occasion.
Judy Tapsell and Ana Mana from the Māori Women's Health League enjoy front-row viewing at the Waitangi - Mō Te Arawa O Te Iwi, For The Love Of The People celebration in Rotorua. Photo / Kelly Makiha
The official Waitangi Day celebrations were held between 10am and 3pm and the Night Market continued until 8pm.
The spa has been the new home of the official Waitangi Day celebrations since last year, after it moved from the Ōhinemutu Village for sustainability reasons given the large crowds that attend.
Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa general manager Debbie Robertson said it was fitting the hosts, Te Paratehoata Marae (Tūnohopū), ran the event at the new spa development as, like Ōhinemutu, the spa also sits on Ngāti Whakaue land.
“The fact that Wai Ariki is on Ngāti Whakaue land means we are still holding this event on sacred Māori land. We have the car parking facilities and a great lay out and it makes sense to have it here.
“It’s great to celebrate Waitangi Day in a positive environment with the various nationalities and cultures we have in New Zealand and of course Rotorua. Today is more than just about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It’s about embracing who we are and all the people around us.”
Ngāti Whakaue kuia Josie Scott at the Waitangi - Mō Te Arawa O Te Iwi, For The Love Of The People celebration in Rotorua. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Ngāti Whakaue kuia Josie Scott described the day as “wonderful”.
“All the closeness between the people of so many nationalities in New Zealand. It is just so heartwarming and everybody is open to each other.”
Ana Mana was enjoying the day sitting in the front row with her friend, Judy Tapsell, from the Māori Women’s Health League.
“The entertainment is so good and all the merchandise around it. It’s a great mix of cultures and a great way to spend Waitangi Day.”
Marina Kirk-Osman had her stall, Marina's Miracle Cake Basket stall, at Waitangi - Mō Te Arawa O Te Iwi, For The Love Of The People celebration in Rotorua. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Marina Kirk-Osman had her stall, Marina’s Miracle Cake Basket, at the event and said she was doing a great trade.
She said she had friends travelling from Wellington for the event.
“They decided to come when I told them about the food stalls.”
She said organisers had told them there were 99 stall holders and to expect about 10,000 people.
“There are people here with stalls from outside of Rotorua, like Hamilton, Taupō and Whakatāne. It’s amazing. It puts Rotorua on the map from a tourism perspective and it’s great to see Rotorua growing.”
Singers Diane Tibble, Krissie Knap and Rewa Ututaonga. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Singer Krissie Knap has been an MC at previous events but this year enjoyed being part of the line-up singing with Rewa Ututaonga and Dianne Tibble.
Te Puia chief executive Tim Cossar said the event was a chance to share a fun and whānau friendly experience with good kai which resonated strongly with the public.
“Comments I’ve heard from manuhiri include that they like the vibe, the relaxed atmosphere, the educational elements and the whānau friendly approach. It’s really important for us to connect with our community in a meaningful way.”
The activities included wānanga with expert Te Waata Cribb about Te Tiriti and tīkanga.
Te Puia visitor experience general manager Denise Emery said the event was about whānau, an understanding of Māori culture and coming together.
“We have people from all races and cultures here today and we’re happy to bring them into our whānau and to show them that Waitangi Day is not something to shy away from, it’s something to celebrate together.”
Rotorua local Daniel Phillips attended the day with his 7 and 4-year old sons and said it was a great whānau day out, with activities for the kids including artistic taiaha design, poi, playing on the bouncy castle and having fun on the marae atea.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
