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Download AudioTurangawaewae Marae has geared up to manage the thousands of mourners heading for Ngāruawāhia to pay their respects to Kiingi Tuheitia.
People have been asked not to speculate on who will succeed him.
Che Wilson, a spokesperson for Tekaumarua, the king’s advisory council, that that’s the responsibility of rangatira from around the motu, once everyone has been welcomed to the tangi.
Ta Tumu te Heuheu, the ariki of Ngati Tuwharetoa, will lead the process starting on Tuesday evening and going through the next day, so the successor will be prepared before the funeral service on Thursday.
“People will say ‘I’m a rangatira,’ and the response is simple – there’s a key group we know form around the country and if we don’t know them, their own that are there will know them and they will say yes or no whether they come in,” Mr Wilson says.
He says at the last such gathering 18 years ago women were included – and five younger people including himself were also allowed in so they could observe and know what needed to happen in future.
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