Obama swings by
Former US President Obama loses to Key on first visit but could gain revenge today
Former US president Barack Obama will be back on the golf course this morning, trying to avenge yesterday’s loss to former PM Sir John Key as he began his first visit to New Zealand.
Obama will meet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern later today before attending an exclusive dinner cooked byy chef Peter Gordon at Auckland’s Viaduct EventsEvents Centre.Centre.
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Former US President Barack Obama will have a chance to redeem himself on a New Zealand golf course this morning after being narrowly beaten in a playoff by former Prime Minister John Key in Northland yesterday.
After spending yesterday at Kauri Cliffs golf course, Obama will have another morning of golf in Northland today before returning to Auckland mid-afternoon.
Key reported Obama had been “relaxed” and the golf “came down to the wire”.
He said the teams were all square after 18 holes — “Team NZ won on the second playoff hole.”
Team NZ was the pairing of Key and billionaire Craig Heatley, who had also flown the Key family up North earlier that morning.
Key said it was a “great match” and Obama was “keen to return”.
“[Obama] was relaxed, loved the course and his first glimpse of New Zealand.”
After his first golf game with Obama in Maui in 2016, Key was not allowed to report who had won — but the rules have clearly changed now neither are leaders.
Obama will be welcomed with a powhiri at Government House today — the first opportunity for many to get a close-up look at the President.
He will then have a meeting with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who yesterday was remaining quiet about what she would discuss with him.
The powhiri will be led by Ngati Whatua Orakei and spokesman Ngarimu Blair said while many dignitaries had been welcomed to New Zealand, it was a privilege to do the powhiri for Obama.
“In this particular case, obviously we are excited to do this for someone who had such a huge impact in the United States and also on societies around the world. Everyone prepares their whole lives for these ceremonies so we are not nervous as such, but there is a high level of excitement.”
Much of Obama’s trip has been at a distance — he arrived early yesterday before taking a helicopter to Kauri Cliffs. Obama is staying at The Landing, a luxury lodge in the Bay of Islands, and was to have a private dinner with about 20 guests, including Air NZ chief executive Chris Luxon, last night.
Footage of Obama from up North showed him appearing to take plenty of photos on his cellphone of the scenery, as well as high-fiving Key after a good shot.
It also showed Key’s game was not without problems — he ended up in a bunker on the 13th hole. Obama’s main event will be a dinner and discussion with actor Sam Neill tonight with up to 1000 guests at the Viaduct Events Centre. That meal has been overseen by chef Peter Gordon, who was flown over from London by Air NZ for the occasion. Gordon has selected New Zealand salmon as one option and steak for the another “because he’s from Chicago”.
While Obama is steering clear of politics, his speaking event turned into a political football at Parliament yesterday after Regional Development Minister Shane Jones’ attacks on Air New Zealand for cuts to regional services.
That prompted National Party leader Simon Bridges to question why Jones was accepting corporate hospitality from Air NZ to attend the Obama speech.
Jones said he was entitled to because the Government was a majority shareholder.
Tomorrow Obama will wind up his visit after a more intimate meeting with about 20 Maori women leaders who are part of the Wahine Toa network set up by Nancy Gilbert, the wife of former ambassador Mark Gilbert.
Meanwhile, a bid by Kim Dotcom to serve Obama with a court order failed yesterday. Dotcom wanted the former president to give evidence before a New Zealand judge over a damages claim for his defunct streaming website Megaupload.
Chief High Court Judge Justice Geoffrey Venning, who held a urgent telephone conference to deal with the application, said he was not satisfied that evidence Obama could give would be of relevance.