What to do on Waitangi Day in the South Island
Following a two-year pause prompted by Covid-19, the South Island’s largest and longest-running Waitangi commemoration is held once again at Okains Bay, on Banks Peninsula, today.
Te Rūnaka o Koukourarata and Okains Bay Museum invite the public to commemorate the 184th anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi at Kawatea.
Several thousand visitors are expected to visit the museum, the Ngai Tahu reserve opposite, and the Okains Bay heritage precinct.
Event highlights would include a pōwhiri – a traditional welcome for visitors – a hāngī lunch and the Kāi Tahu waka, Kōtukumairangi arrival (subject to tide) at 1.30pm.
There’ll be interactive displays to learn about the history and taonga of the region, family-friendly games and activities, live entertainment, and food and drinks or bring a picnic.
Gates open at 9am, with the pōwhiri taking place at 10am. Entry is free, but a cash koha (donation) is welcome to help support the museum.
Early-morning clouds should clear by mid-morning over Banks Peninsula, with a high temperature of 33C, according to MetService.
In Christchurch, the I Love New Brighton family fun day at Thomson Park will feature live music, food stalls and children's activities.
The Garden City is forecast to climb to a high of 31C, while those in Dunedin and Queenstown, can expect temperatures to stay in the mid to low 20s with highs of 26C and 23C respectively.
People in Dunedin can enjoy a Whānau fun day in the Upper Octagon from 1.00pm, to to learn more about Te Tiriti and have fun with various cultural activities, kai and music.
A free community and magic day was planned in the West Coast's Grey District and further south, people are invited to Te Rau Aroha Marae, in Awarua, Bluff, to pay tribute to the Ngāi Tahu soldiers of World War I before an address from Tā Tipene O’Regan.
Locals in Nelson are invited to Whakatū Marae and Founders Heritage Park to learn more about our shared history and experience Te Ao Māori/Māori culture.
In previous years, Waitangi Day was recognised at the heritage park with the International Kai Festival. This year will feature more delicious food options than ever before, with 70 stalls spread across the two sites, including a hāngī – traditional Māori food cooked beneath the ground – at Whakatū Marae.
Each year the Ngāi Tahu Waitangi Day commemorations rotate between the three locations where Ngāi Tahu signed Te Tiriti O Waitangi – Te Rau Aroha Marae, at Awarua, Bluff; Ōtākou Marae, near Dunedin; and Ōnuku Marae on Banks Peninsula. This year it will be hosted in Bluff.
Okains Bay is known for its historical connections to the early European settlement and the Māori culture. Commemorating Waitangi Day at this location allows for a reflection on the historical events surrounding the signing of Te Tiriti in 1840.
In South Canterbury, the day will be marked with activities at Arowhenua Marae in Temuka – a day of “fun and games to celebrate the diversity of Waitangi Day”, the organisers said.
Activities will include traditional Māori games, weaving, a wearable arts exhibition and carving with master carver, Jonathan Reihana.
There will be a powhiri at 10am for those who have not been to the marae before, and events run through to 4pm.
Residents in Lake Tekapo/Takapō, have been given a treat to mark the day. The Dark Sky Experience at the Dark Sky project will be free to locals. The usual charge is $50 per adult and $30 for a child. “We see this [Waitangi Day] as a celebration,” the company said on social media. “To celebrate our beautiful whenua we are offering locals an opportunity to come along to our Dark Sky Experience for free. “This experience touches on Tatai Aroraki, Māori astronomy, as well as science.”
Te Aitarakihi Marae-a-Iwi/Multicultural Centre at Smithfield in Timaru will not host its usual Waitangi Whānau Day. Last year it drew some 500 people. “There will be nothing available for the public,” centre spokesperson Kylie Kellas said. “We have been running a Mau Taiaha Wananga and it ends today [Tuesday].”
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