Waitangi 2026: Tauranga Moana unites for a dawn service at Mt Drury

Tauranga Moana's Waitangi Day dawn service was held at Hopukiore (Mt Drury). Photo / Bijou Johnson

Dawn broke over Hopukiore (Mt Drury) as more than 200 people gathered to mark Waitangi Day.

The Tauranga Moana’s Waitangi Day dawn service has been held at Hopukiore for more than a decade, and this year’s service held special meaning.

Two tragedies rocked the Bay of Plenty community just over two weeks ago, the Mauao and Welcome Bay landslides.

Eight lives were lost in total, and 40 slips have damaged Mauao.

The service began at 6.30am with a whakatau (welcome) from tangata whenua, before a morning karakia.

Haka and kapa haka were performed, and several local kaumātua (elders), civic leaders, and rangatahi gave speeches.

Tauranga's Waitangi Day dawn service has been held for more than a decade. Photo / Bijou Johnson

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said he wanted to acknowledge the tragic events that transpired on Mauao and in Pāpāmoa.

“These tragedies weigh heavily on our hearts.”

The victims of the landslides were honoured multiple times throughout the service, with many dignitaries speaking about how the community had united throughout this time.

National MP Sam Uffindel, Labour MP Jan Tinetti, and Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer were also in attendance, alongside Bay of Plenty Regional Council chair Matemoana McDonald and chairs representing Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, and Ngāti Pūkenga.

The service concluded around 8.30am with a closing karakia, himene (hymns), and a Rātana band played Return Home before the crowd dispersed.

Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.