Four people have been recognised in Napier's annual Civic Awards which were presented by Mayor Bill Dalton on Wednesday night.
The four, whose awards were celebrated at the Napier Conference Centre, are mariner Piripi Smith, sportswoman, performing artist and Red Cross and Meals on Wheels stalwart Yvonne Atkins, Returned Services stalwart John Gilmore, and doctor Tim Bevin.
Mr Smith is best known as director of Te Matau a Maui Voyaging Trust and skipper of the ocean-going masted waka which has been based off West Quay in the Napier inner harbour since completing 140,000km of Pacific voyaging in late 2012.
The waka has carried thousands of people on education and knowledge-based voyages under the guidance of the skipper whose nominees described him as a quiet man who has made a difference to so many people in so many projects, and is a "true celestial navigator". He has devoted thousands of hours to training crew and to maintenance.
He has also been a driving force behind the celestial star compass at Waitangi Regional Park, Awatoto, which he regards as "probably the most significant historical land site in all of Hawke's Bay", and where he will share his mātauranga (knowledge) with the next generation.