Haka rōpu from across the motu took to the stage at Turangawaewae to perform for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po. Photo: Image courtesy of Te Tari o te Kiingitanga
With a waiata and lowering of the flags at Turangawaewae marae, the first Koroneihana of Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po came to an end.
After an emotional first address from the Māori monarch on Friday, the mood in Ngāruawāhia was celebratory, as the day turned to kapa haka.
Te Arikinui herself is a champion haka performer, but this time, she watched on, as groups representing almost every region in the country performed.
Pere Wihongi performed for both Auckland-based group Angitu and for a Tai Tokerau supergroup on Saturday, and said: "Nō mātou, nō Angitu te waimarie i pōhiritia ai mātou e te Kiingitanga.
"Nā reira e tika ana tā mātou tau mai ki te whakakanohi i tō mātou hapori kei Tāmaki Makaurau, otirā i te iwi Māori tonu hei tautoko atu i tō tātou Kuini."
"Us of Angitu are fortunate to have been welcomed by the Kiingitanga, so it was right that we should be here to represent our community of Auckland and the Māori community to support our Queen."
The group gifted the queen an oka, or dagger, carved by one of their performers, Elias Ashby.
Photo: Image courtesy of Te Tari o te Kiingitanga
"Whakapā atu au ki a ia ka whakapāha atu. Aroha mai e kore mātou e heri mai i tētahi kauwae, paraoa, i tētahi pipiua ātaahua rānei. A heoi anō rā tā mātou he kawe mai i ngā vibes," Wihongi said.
"I reached out to her to apologise, because we wouldn't be bringing a whale's jawbone or a beautiful piupiu, but what we can bring are the vibes."
Earlier, the eight iwi of Te Tauihu presented a nearly five-metre long jawbone (kauae parāoa) and 48 teeth (niho) to Te Arikinui from a sperm whale that washed ashore on Rabbit Island in 2016.
Wihongi also performed with a group representing almost all of Northland, a region that the late Kiingi Tuheitia had very close whakapapa ties with.
"He oranga ngākau te tū tahi me taku iwi, me taku whānau o Muriwhenua, otirā Te Tai Tokerau whānui tonu. Ka mutu nō Te Tai Tokerau tonu tō tātou Arikinui."
"It was a great feeling to stand together with my iwi, my family from Muriwhenua and the wider Northland region. and Te Arikinui is a descendant of the north as well."
Wihongi said Tainui had done an exceptional job hosting and caring for the many thousands of guests who had arrived to celebrate the Koroneihana.
"Ko Tainui tētahi o ngā iwi pakari rawa atu ki te manaaki tangata, ki te tiaki manuhiri," they said.
"Tainui is one of the best iwi when it comes to looking after people, looking after their guests."
Photo: Image courtesy of Te Tari o te Kiingitanga
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