Dame Te Ata laid to rest

The coffin is lifted onto the waka. Picture / Mark Taylor, Reuters

The body of Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Maori Queen, has been buried on Taupiri Mountain.

Her coffin was brought to the foot of the mountain by waka after a trip from Turangawaewae Marae by hearse and then up the Waikato River.

The journey, which took around two-and-a-half hours in total, was watched by thousands lining the riverbanks.

Dame Te Ata's body taken off the waka at about 1pm for the short trip up the mountain a support waka gave her a poignant salute. Paddles were pointed skywards as the waka continued to move down river in the strong current.

The burial was a private affair with no cameras or media allowed near her grave.

The trip up the river came after casket was placed on the waka beneath a flax canopy and a final waiata (song) sounded out as the waka moved out from the riverbank into the current.

Mourners broke into a spontaneous and spirited haka as the waka reached the middle of the river. The haka was intermingled with cries of grief.

The waka began drifting down river in the strong current before the crew of more than 20 began paddling towards Taupiri Mountain.

It left the riverside exactly an hour after she was carried from the Turangawaewae Marae at Ngaruawahia.

Moments after the waka left the riverside, a safety boat attached a line to slow it down and allow support waka to catch up so they could paddle to the base of Taupiri Mountain in unison.

Haka continued from the pontoon where Dame Te Ata's body was loaded as other support waka paddled past.

Pallbearers

Earlier, the casket containing her body had been closed and carried shoulder-high by eight pallbearers as a vocal outpouring of grief filled the marae.

It was carried to a silver hearse outside the main gates for the short journey to the river.

Thousands of mourners waited on both sides of the riverbank and at least 12 waka from all parts of the country waited to escort Dame Te Ata along the riverside to the foot of Taupiri Mountain.

The hearse slowly made its way from the main gates, led to the riverbank by the Ratana Church band. Dame Te Ata's family followed the hearse.

As it reached the top of the grassed riverbank area, a red carpet led to the river, lined with waka paddlers.

Some of the last people to farewell Dame Te Ata off the Turangawaewae Marae were the cooks, kitchenhands and others who had worked behind the scenes to feed and host the tens of thousands of mourners visiting the marae to pay their respects.

She was carried from the hearse down the grassed area to the waka, which was heavily decorated with greenery and flowers.

One of the features of the service was that pallbearers, the waka paddlers and those involved in the funeral were ordinary people without suits, reflecting Dame Te Ata's strong bond with her people.

Dawn

As dawn broke at the marae, more than 5000 mourners, shrouded in mist, had gathered to pay their last respects.

Her body was moved a few metres from the front of the meeting house where she had lain at the marae since she died on Tuesday.

Beside her casket, on a podium seated on a carved throne, sat her successor - eldest son Tuheitia Paki, to be known as King Tuheitia.

Early in the service, Chief Justice and acting Governor General Dame Sian Elias read messages of condolences from Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles said in his message he and his wife Camilla were deeply saddened to hear of Dame Te Ata's death.

"I just wanted you to know how much you and all your family are in our thoughts and prayers at this time of sorrow," the message said.

"I have the fondest memories of the occasions on which I met Dame Te Ata and can well imagine what a huge void she must leave, not only in your own lives but in those of all the Maori people."

Within an hour or so, the 5000 mourners who had been at the marae at first light were joined by many thousands more as Tainui elders prepared to crown Dame Te Ata's successor.

The mist thinned as the sun came up and the Kingitanga flag, Paki o Matariki Paimarire, was raised at 7am.

Tainui kaumatua and members of local rugby league teams were preparing for Dame Te Ata's final journey.

The fleet of waka was led by Whatihua Herangi, of Ngati Maniapoto.

People in the greater Waikato area were urged to donate either daffodils or jonquils, or any other white or yellow flowers to enhance the funeral proceedings.

The significance of the floral theme was that white is symbolic of love, and yellow is for remembrance.

The flowers were given to people lining the street route from the marae to the Waikato River as well as those lining the riverbanks.

- NZPA, NZHERALD STAFF