Waitangi Day 6 February

On Waitangi Day, we headed to Okains Bay for the festivities on this national holiday. The day is named for Waitangi on the north island where a treaty between Maori and Pakeha was signed in 1840. Different than the treaties normally signed in North America, the treaty, in brief, states how the country will be shared together.
Here are some of the highlights from the day.

From the museum:
A Waka Tete (fishing canoe) built around 1800, just short of 15 m long, and used for fishing out at sea. Originally it would have had sides and a figure head. Made from Totara wood.


Waka Tiwai (River Canoe) used by a family and seats 6. 11 m long, and made of Totara wood.


A fist full of people became citizens and the Mayor of Christchurch was on hand to officiate at the proceedings. Each new citizen is given a native tree as they put down roots in their new country.


Our friend M found the sheep pen.


And these fellows had to dig for lunch. The hangi lunch is prepared by cooking the meat, carrots, potatoes, kumara (sweet potato) and pumpkin by burying it in the ground over hot river stones





Here are the bins in which the meal was cooked.


and once taken from the cooking pit, it is loaded into the back of a pick up truck and driven over to the serving tables.


We also had a chance to volunteer for paddling one of the wakas (canoes)
There's nothing for it but to get wet when getting into the waka. It seats about 24 people and it took us no time at all to shoot up the river to the landing site.