The top-class entertainment was well received at the Waitangi Tuwharetoa ki Pukawa event.
The top-class entertainment was well received at the Waitangi Tuwharetoa ki Pukawa event.
This year’s Waitangi Tūwharetoa ki Pukawa event went off without a hitch, proving a fun day out for all the family.
The leadup to the event wasn’t smooth sailing, however, after a poor weather outlook and record-high lake levels forced hosts Pukawa Marae to tee up an eleventh-hour venue change.
After being originally organised for the Pukawa beach reserve, Ngāti Tūrangitukua stepped in to offer Tūrangitukua Park in Tūrangi as a new suitable venue.
This meant some of the planned activities, including waka ama rides and swimming, were shelved.
Despite this, organiser David Potaka said crowd numbers were high and a good time was had by all.
“We were quite buoyed by the fact that so many people attended.”
“The feedback we’ve had so far has been fantastic.”
Te Kura o Hirangi volunteers fundraise by serving up good kai. Photo / Supplied
The venue change didn’t stop the organisers from focusing on making the event accessible and community driven, with special offerings throughout the day for kaumātua thanks to the generous efforts from a collective of Ngāti Tūwharetoa entities.
Low environmental impact was also a focus of the event, with the zero-waste non-profit organisation Para Kore on site to divert recyclables and food waste from landfill.
Thanks to their input, all the non-recyclable waste from the entire event fitted into a single rubbish bag.
Cornelia Dempsey, Taupō District Council’s co-governance management partner, has been involved in the Tūwharetoa Waitangi festivities for over a decade. The event has had a special place in her heart since the first one ten years ago. She successfully delivered the Waitangi Taupō Moana festival whilst in labour, giving birth to her daughter Makaia on the same day.
She said that this year’s celebrations and commemorations went as smoothly as any other, and much less eventfully for her than the first year.
The event was focused on celebrating bi-culturalism and encouraging community gathering through entertainment and fun, but visitors were also encouraged to reflect on Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi and what it meant to them.
“The main theme [of the event] was around the concept of community, whakawhanaungatanga/establishing relationships and partnership.”
There were speeches and discussions on stage throughout the day, as well as stalls and volunteers encouraging conversations in the crowd.
Visitors were also treated to a variety of food stalls, as well as live music from beloved Kiwi acts like the Harmonic Resonators, Brown Brothers and Annie Crummer.
MP Tamati Coffey celebrates Waitangi Day with the Harmonic Resonators and fans. Photo / Supplied
Among the revellers was Labour list MP Tāmati Coffey, who took to Facebook to share photos and declare it “the best day I’ve had out in a long time”.
Dempsey stressed that organising the event was a huge undertaking, taking about eight months and thousands of volunteer hours to co-ordinate.
“Pukawa marae and Ngāti Tūwharetoa collectively by far were the biggest supporters including financial assistance, alongside the council and other funders.”
“Massive credit to Pukawa marae, our other volunteers, the council and Amplify.”
