JOINING JACINDA

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern had an unexpected surprise while addressing a crowd in New Plymouth.

An echoed ‘‘arrrrgh’’ roared as a group of pirates stumbled across Ardern’s speech on the Puke Ariki steps on Saturday.

‘‘Well this is a first,’’ she said into a loudspeaker. ‘‘Ahoy, come join us.’’ And the pirates did.

The group were celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day and happened upon the Labour gathering by mistake.

One approached Ardern as she finished her speech, which garnered applause and a ‘‘let’s do this’’ chant, and asked a humorous question.

‘‘What are ye goin’ to do about pirates?’’

The Labour leader answered: ‘‘Well my name is Jacinda Arrr-dern.’’

The trip to Taranaki followed Ardern’s talk in Auckland, which covered health care and housing.

She arrived in Taranaki and met with New Plymouth Labour Party candidate Corie Haddock, Haddock’s campaign team and a crowd of spectators at the Centre City shopping mall about midday.

Haddock said it was always great to have Ardern visit the region.

Labour supporter Jordan McCall said he had always been a vote for Labour and was enthused about the crowd size.

‘‘You can tell by the people turn out that Labour have got this this year.’’

Jayden Conceicao, Haddock’s campaign manager, said the excitement of the event was not just for Ardern, but for the entire Labour Party.

‘‘I’ve talked to younger people who are all stoked to vote because they have something to vote for,’’ he said.

‘‘They have a voice that will be heard.’’

Some younger passersby were unsure who Ardern was.

‘‘I think it’s that Labour lady,’’ one said as she walked by the crowd.

The crowd shifted to the Puke Ariki landing where Haddock announced: ‘‘I want to introduce you to Labour leader, and our next Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.’’

The visit ended with a walk through the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre, where some visitors were surprised to see Ardern.

‘‘I wasn’t expecting to see Jacinda today,’’ one person said.

"You can tell by the people turn out that Labour have got this this year."

Jordan McCall

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern checks out a Len Lye sculpture called Universe.

PHOTOS: ANDY JACKSON/STUFF ‘‘Ahoy, come join us,’’ Jacinda told a group of people on the Talk Like a Pirate Day Pub Crawl.

A crowd at New Plymouth’s Centre City shopping mall erupted in applause as Jacinda made her way through the doors.

Jacinda addresses the crowd at Puke Ariki Landing on Saturday.