{"id":317,"date":"2014-12-17T21:35:36","date_gmt":"2014-12-17T21:35:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/?p=317"},"modified":"2014-12-17T21:35:36","modified_gmt":"2014-12-17T21:35:36","slug":"waka-fleet-arrives-in-auckland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/news\/waka-fleet-arrives-in-auckland","title":{"rendered":"Waka fleet arrives in Auckland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Auckland has launched into a sizzling summer that\u2019s set to become the region\u2019s biggest-ever events season with a spectacular celebration of its Pacific connections, M\u0101ori and maritime heritage. <\/p>\n

The Waitemata Harbour was at its best yesterday (7.12.14) as a fleet of traditional ocean-going waka (double-hull canoes) sailed into the city \u2013 highlighting Auckland\u2019s sea-going heritage, multi-cultural origins and the spectacular coastal playground that will background many of the coming events.<\/p>\n

Locals crowded the pohutukawa-fringed beach at \u014ckahu Bay \u2013 on the city\u2019s eastern seaboard \u2013 to view the arrival of six impressive waka including two vessels that are part way through a four-year around-the-world voyage from Hawaii.<\/p>\n

The visiting H\u014dk\u016ble\u2019a and Hikianalia waka form part of the M\u0101lama Honu expedition organised by the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS).  On hand to welcome the visitors were local waka \u2013 Haunui, Aotearoa One and Hinemoana, and Marumaru Atua from the Cook Islands.<\/p>\n

Landing at \u014ckahu Bay \u2013 a sacred landmark for Auckland\u2019s M\u0101ori \u2013 the crews were greeted by a traditional M\u0101ori p\u014dwhiri (welcome) ceremony led by the resident M\u0101ori tribe Ng\u0101ti Wh\u0101tua \u014crakei, before sailing into the downtown portside Wynyard Quarter.<\/p>\n

The arrival of the fleet was a unique and special sight which attracted spectators from Auckland\u2019s strong and proud multicultural community, says Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) Chief Executive Brett O\u2019Riley.<\/p>\n

\u201cWaka have been a significant part of Auckland\u2019s history and the city is known in te reo M\u0101ori as T\u0101maki Herenga Waka: T\u0101maki, a place where many waka converge \u2212 representative of the hundreds of canoes that could be seen on Auckland\u2019s harbours in the past.\u201d
\nPasifika orgins<\/p>\n

Welcoming the Polynesian Voyaging Society after a momentous journey across the seas and in to the Waitemata Harbour is fantastic for Auckland, says Auckland Mayor Len Brown. \u201cWe are proud of this multicultural city which reflects our unique Pasifika origins.\u201d<\/p>\n

The theme for the PVS visit to New Zealand is ‘Ng\u0101 Waka: A tribe returning home’. The two ocean-going waka \u2013 H\u014dk\u016ble\u2019a and Hikianalia \u2013 already have a strong connection with New Zealand. H\u014dk\u016ble\u2019a sailed to New Zealand in 1985 and Hikianalia was built in New Zealand and sailed back to Hawaii in 2012.<\/p>\n

The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) was founded in 1973 on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, seeking to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through educational programmes.<\/p>\n

The visiting waka will spend several months in Auckland and travelling from port to port to visit coastal communities and strengthen connections between the peoples of Hawaii and Aotearoa. They are due to embark on the next leg of their historic journey in mid-2015.
\nAuckland \u2212 T\u0101maki Herenga Waka: T\u0101maki<\/p>\n

The creation of Auckland\u2019s unique landscape is part of an ancient M\u0101ori love story that brought about a fierce battle of incantations. The battle between two iwi (tribes) created deep cracks in the earth, thrusting upwards the many volcanic cones scattered across the region today.<\/p>\n

The fertile soils left from this battle, combined with the abundant resources of the Waitemata and Manukau harbours, have drawn people to this region for centuries. It is for this reason that the Auckland region is known as T\u0101maki Makaurau \u2013 T\u0101maki, a place desired by many.<\/p>\n

These same natural assets also attracted waka (canoes) from tribes across the country to trade with the people of the Auckland region. It is said that at times hundreds of canoes could be seen on Auckland\u2019s harbours, giving the region another name: T\u0101maki Herenga Waka \u2013 T\u0101maki, a place where many waka converge.
\nEvents season<\/p>\n

Summer 2014\/2015 is anticipated to be the Auckland region\u2019s biggest-ever events season.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s event is just the beginning for Auckland\u2019s non-stop summer, which has a bumper line up of arts, culture, music and sport events,\u201d Brett O\u2019Riley said.<\/p>\n

Highlight events on the calendar for Auckland will include: four international cricket matches during ICC CWC 2015, international tennis at ASB Classic and Heineken Open, Auckland Nines rugby league, sailing with Millennium Cup and Volvo Ocean race, the inaugural Ultimate Waterman surfing event, and the annual Lantern Festival.<\/p>\n

ASB Classic – Auckland
\n05 – 10 January 2015<\/p>\n

Sunshine, strawberries and a feast of great tennis – part of the WTA worldwide tour and New Zealand’s richest women’s international sporting event which will include tennis stars Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams.<\/p>\n

Heineken Open – Auckland
\n12 – 17 January 2015<\/p>\n

Live action and top ranked players from the men\u2019s tennis world.<\/p>\n

New Zealand Millennium Cup
\n21 – 23 January 2015<\/p>\n

The New Zealand Millennium Cup attracts some of the world’s most prestigious super yachts, helping to showcase New Zealand’s world-class boat building and refit industries.<\/p>\n

Auckland Nines
\n31 January \u2013 1 February 2015<\/p>\n

The Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines is a two-day, nine a side, knock-out tournament extravaganza showcasing the world\u2019s greatest Rugby League talent live in Auckland.<\/p>\n

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
\n14 February \u2013 29 March 2015<\/p>\n

Trans-Tasman rivalry will bring Eden Park to the boil when Australia and New Zealand square off on 28 February 2015. South Africa plays Pakistan on 7 March; Zimbabwe takes on reigning world champions India on 14 March; and 24 March will bring the first semi-final.<\/p>\n

Lantern Festival – Auckland
\n26 February – 1 March 2015<\/p>\n

Hundreds of colourful lanterns light up central Auckland\u2019s Albert Park in a family celebration of the Chinese New Year with entertainment, food and crafts. Auckland Lantern Festival is one of the city\u2019s most highly anticipated summer events.<\/p>\n

Volvo Ocean Race, Auckland
\n27 February \u2013 15 March 2015<\/p>\n

Auckland \u2013 \u2018City of Sails\u2019 – has been hailed as one of the Volvo Ocean Race\u2019s most legendary stopovers. The Auckland leg of the Volvo Ocean Race will see the port, viaduct and Wynyard Quarter transformed into a hive of sailing activity leading up to the in-port race on 14 March.<\/p>\n

Ultimate Waterman, Auckland
\n14 \u2013 21 March 2015<\/p>\n

Auckland will host the inaugural Ultimate Waterman \u2013 an eight-day multi-discipline surfing event that will play out in some of New Zealand\u2019s iconic surf destinations and featuring the world\u2019s biggest international watermen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Auckland has launched into a sizzling summer that\u2019s set to become the region\u2019s biggest-ever events season with a spectacular celebration of its Pacific connections, M\u0101ori and maritime heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,47,1,12,348],"tags":[354,349],"class_list":["post-317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-auckland","category-events","category-news","category-sport","category-sportnews","tag-auckland","tag-waka"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":320,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317\/revisions\/320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalbuzz.net\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}