Celebration of Tuhoe in Rotorua aims to attract 15,000

Rotorua is gearing up to host the first Tuhoe festival in the city in 47 years with up to 15,000 people expected to converge on the city this Easter weekend.

Te Hui Ahurei a Tuhoe is a celebration of the staunchly proud iwi based in Te Urewera.

It will officially start on Friday when Ngati Whakaue welcomes competitors to the Rotorua International Stadium.

While the festival is about bringing together Tuhoe people from all over New Zealand and parts of Australia, there's a fiercely competitive element to it, with each team vying for the overall crown.

The main drawcard is kapa haka, with junior teams competing on Friday and senior teams on Saturday - a total of about 600 performers.

There will also be 40 junior and senior netball teams of about 300 players and 15 senior rugby teams of about 300 players.

There are also 12 golf teams, debating teams, artists exhibiting traditional and contemporary art and a battle of the bands/talent quest.

Host committee chairman Whitiaua Ropitini said momentum was building and months of planning was coming together.

Work is under way to get Rotorua's International Stadium prepared for this weekend's Te Hui Ahurei a Tuhoe. Photo/Stephen Parker

Hundreds of competitors would start arriving in the city from tomorrowand would stay at marae around the rohe (region), Ropitini said.

He said while the festival was about the coming together of Tuhoe, everyone wanted to win.

Some kapa haka teams had been rehearsing for about a year.

"The difference with the Ahurei is it's not just about kapa haka or sports. It's about coming together of us as a people and not just for tangi."

Ropitini said the festival was designed to retain and revitalise Tuhoe's culture and traditions.

As part of that, the kapa haka teams have additional disciplines they must add to their performances designed to retain Tuhoe traditions.

Each team must also sing the same waiata moteatea (Maori chant) to ensure all Tuhoe descendants knew the chant when required at other occasions.

Site manager Rob Kemp said the festival was an alcohol and smokefree event, with 40 stalls making up a food court.

The site map for Te Hui Ahurei a Tuhoe. Photo/supplied

The main stage would go up today when teams of volunteers helping with the remaining set up would start to arrive.

The gathering has been a highlight for the iwi since the 1960s when Tuhoe descendants got together for rugby and netball games.

In 1971 the games moved to Rotorua's Mataatua Marae, which was the only Tuhoe marae built outside Te Urewera at the time. This was the first "Tuhoe Festival" and consisted of three kapa haka groups, Tuhoe ki Poneke (Wellington) Te Tira Hou (Auckland) and Te Whitu Tekau (Kawerau).

Te Hui Ahurei a Tuhoe is not just about kapa haka. Rugby, netball, touch and golf are also among the activities. Photo/supplied

In 1973, the festival returned to Tuhoe's tribal homeland at Ruatoki and had remained in the area, including in Waimana and Ruatahuna, ever since.

More Tuhoe teams have joined over the years from Ruatoki, Tawera, Taneatua, Ruatahuna, Waikaremoana, Waimana, Waiohau, Rotorua, Kawerau, Waikato, Hawkes Bay, East Coast and Australia.

Governance committee, Te Manatu Ahurea a Tuhoe, awarded the hosting rights this year to Rotorua-based group Mataatua.

The festival is held every two years and the 2016 overall winner was Ruatoki.

Daily tickets can be bought through Ticketmaster costing $20 for adults, $15 for children aged 5 to 14 and $10 for kaumatua. Children under 5 are free. On Sunday night tickets for the final concert are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Kapa haka is the main drawcard at Te Hui Ahurei a Tuhoe and the groups are always fiercely competitive. Photo/supplied

Programme highlights
Thursday 10am: Golf competition at Te Teko Golf Club
Friday 7am-8.30am: Ngati Whakaue welcome at Rotorua International Stadium
Friday 9am-3.25pm: Nga Kapa Haka a Nga Tamariki - junior kapa haka, Rotorua International Stadium
Friday 3.30pm: Junior touch, Westbrook rugby fields
Saturday 8am-6.25pm: Nga Kapa Haka A Nga Pakeke - senior kapa haka, Rotorua International Stadium
Saturday 7.30pm: Talent quest and Battle of the Bands, Rotorua International Stadium
Sunday 8am-3.30pm: Tuhoe netball, Rotorua Netball Courts, Malfroy Rd.
Sunday 7pm: Prizegiving, Rotorua International Stadium
Sunday 8pm-10pm: Taiohi Taiea, family show featuring Tuhoe youth aged 5 to 14, performances by Battle of the Bands winners, Harvest and Maimoa, Rotorua International Stadium

Senior kapa haka programme, Rotorua International Stadium, Saturday
8am: Mataatua
8.25am: Mataatua Hinetai
9am: Ruatoki
9.35am: Te Tahu o Haokitaha
10.10am: Tawera
10.42: Wa Whakata
11.10am: Ohinemataroa
11.45am: Oruakorau
12.20pm: Ruatahuna
12.55pm: Mataatua ki Rotorua
1.30pm Te Hono a Te Kiore
2.05pm: Tina
3pm: Ngati Haka-Patuheuheu
3.35pm: Taiarahia
4.10pm: Tuhoe ki Poneke
4.45pm: Te Tirahou
5.20pm: Waimana Kaaku
5.55pm: Tuhoe ki Kawerau
6.25pm Kua Mutu

Whitiaua Ropitini, who is the chairman of the Te Hui Ahurei a Tuhoe host committee, is looking forward to this weekend. Photo/Stephen Parker