Spy: Auckland bars and karaoke in the kitchen: Taika's NZ knees-up with Kiwi celebs

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi together before the director returned home for a brief visit.

Kiwi superstar director Taika Waititi had a good old-fashioned knees-up and got back to his roots with mates in Auckland last weekend.

After enjoying the summer with girlfriend, UK popstar Rita Ora in Sydney, Waititi returned home and went into MIQ a few weeks ago.

At the end of last month, he cheekily gave his Instagram followers a view of the testing stations at his hotel.

"NZ quarantine hotels doing their best to make it feel like a nightclub when jamming things up people's noses," he wrote.

Spy understands the Thor: Love and Thunder director was home for family commitments and to connect with old mates. We are told his stay in MIQ was set to be longer than his catch-ups in Auckland and he was due to fly back overseas any day.

Taika Waititi, Hollie Smith and Robbie Magasiva party it up.

He squeezed a lot into last weekend. First off, last Thursday night he was spotted with TV producer Bailey Mackey at Mackey's Groove Bar in Kingsland.

Next up was a night on Ponsonby Road with Wentworth star Robbie Magasiva and songstress Hollie Smith.

Magasiva posted a picture of the trio at Longroom, telling his followers it was a great night.

Smith got into the comments, relieved Magasiva hadn't posted a picture of them singing.

Kiwi acting legend Sam Neill got into the comments too, praising Smith's latest album, Coming in from the Dark, and playing dumb about who Waititi was.

The singing continued for the 46-year-old director. New AM weatherman William Waiirua, posted a video to Instagram of himself in a kitchen with Waititi, Fast & Furious 9 actor Vinnie Bennett, Westside's Xavier Horan and The Dead Lands' Niwa Whatuira, singing 90s hit High, by the Lighthouse Family. Waititi came in on the chorus.

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Waiirua told his followers of the quintet's performance that they were just doing what felt right.

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi attend the Australian premiere of Being The Ricardos. Photo / via Instagram

Any hopes Ora might see her boyfriend's homeland were dashed, with work commitments back in Hollywood. This week the 31-year-old singer was announced as being cast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast prequel musical series.

Waititi congratulated her on social media with heart emojis saying, " F*** yeah!!! I'm super proud of this girl!"

Ora sent the Disney love right back, celebrating Waititi's role, alongside Chris Evans, in Disney-Pixar Toy Story's animated spinoff, Lightyear, which is released this June.