November 26, 2015
Waka festival for Auckland Anniversary
The Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development agency says the time is right for a festival celebrating the Maori marine heritage.
The first Tamaki Herenga Waka Festival will take place at Queen’s Wharf and on the harbour over the next Auckland Anniversary weekend, January 30 to February 1.
ATEED general manager destination Vivienne Bridgewater says that’s when there are already a lot of people on the waterfront, so the festival will have a big impact.
As well as inter-tribal waka races, there will be music, kapa haka, kai, and chances to showcase Maori economic development.
"Over time we have a dream it will be something people around the world will put on their bucket list because it will be the only place you can come to to experience this, and as we build and grow it will become completely uniqiue. There's nowhere else in the world you can go to and no other city where you would experience mana whenua and tangata whenua in that way," Ms Bridgewater says.
The Tamaki Herenga Waka Festival is also the first event where ATEED is in partnership with mana whenua iwi.
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