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Sydneysiders will this morning witness the unusual sight of a gathering of Pacific voyaging canoes.
The waka are in the harbour to take part in the World Parks Congress put on by the International Union for Conservation and Nature.
Hoturoa Kerr from the Haunui, which is usually based at Auckland’s Maritime Museum, says meeting up with the other crews is like a big whanau get-together.
He says the early morning ceremony will provide a spectacular start to the conference as the canoes sail up the harbour from Watsons Bay.
"A Cook Islands’ waka Marumaru Atua, a Samoan vaka Gaualofa and a Fijian vaka Uto Ni Yalo have all sailed to participate in this conference and to carry pacific leaders to the opening ceremony, saiing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and into the Sydney Maritime Museum, so our waka Haunui, being a part of Auckland City, is carrying a message of environmental sustainability and messages from the Auckland Council," Mr Kerr says.
The Haunui and the other vaka will sail back across the Tasman after the conference so they can be in Auckland to welcome the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hokulea’a to the Waitemata Harbour on December 7.
The Ho'ku'le'a and her sister canoe Hikianalia arrived at Opua in the Bay of Islands yesterday.
They will be formally welcomed at Te Tii Marae in Waitangi on Saturday.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH HOTUROA KERR CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjM4NzA=
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