WAITANGI DAY !

Maori celebrating Waitangi Day Festival

Today was Waitangi Day, a significant day in the history of New Zealand, and one desrving of a public holiday. It celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, on that date, in 1840.
The weather was hot, hot, HOT!




The Waitangi Treaty - there are 6 copies

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6 February 1840, at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. It made New Zealand a part of the British Empire, guaranteed Māori rights to their land and gave Māori the rights of British citizens.




The Pou Kapua - the world's tallest Maori/Pacific carving, at the entrance to the event



Detail of Pou Kapua - of a whale, turtle and kangaroo



A pair of kereru higher up the carving



A Maori face mask and squid with lizard section of the carving

We ate icecream in hollowed out pineapples, listened to the concert and browsed the stalls of crafts, before heading to the beach to cool off!

Apparently, in London, (the city with one of the largest New Zealand expatriate populations,) the occasion is celebrated by the Waitangi Day Ball. Did anyone get an invite?



Other traditions in London include Kiwis participating in a pub crawl using the London Underground's Circle Line, with the stated aim, to consume one drink at each of the 27 stops! Now, you MUST have noticed them!!