September 30, 2019
Sail past pōhiri as waka hourua head for Tuia 250 start
Māori Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis says Saturday's pōhiri for voyaging waka was a great prelude to this week's start of Tuia 250 commemorations.
Choppy seas kept the three waka hourua from landing at the beach at Whangaparaoa near East Cape, but they managed a rapid sail-past.
About 400 people turned out, including Te Whānau a Apanui locals, Kiingi Tuheitia and a strong Waikato Tainui contingent, and the Fa'afaite's Tahitian support team.
"They found it a bit chilly, a bit colder than Tahiti so the first thing they did when they got ashore was head off to the Hunting & Fishing and get some polar fleeces to keep themselves warm. It was a beautiful day and it was what it should have been about, talking about our tūpuna, talking abut the epic voyages they made between the Pacific Islands and Aotearoa, talking abour our history, talking about ourselves," Mr Davis says.
He's looking forward to welcoming the Tuia 250 Flotilla to Gisborne at the end of the week.
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