Awanui Day: thousands flock to Far North town’s annual celebration

Tahlei Dunn, 9, enjoys the ice cream Robert Ngaera and Ricky-Leigh Larkins, from 90 Mile Takeaways have just served her

It’s the tiny town with a big heart and on Saturday Awanui showed its community pride for the world to see as it held it’s hugely popular and successful Awanui Day Commemorations.

The town, population less than 400, hosted its annual Awanui Day celebrations with thousands of people pouring into the town to honour the place.

The event came just five days before Awanui will find out if it has won either of the two award categories it was a finalist in the Keep NZ Beautiful Awards.

Awanui Day is built around the Northland Riders’ Motorcycle Club’s Treble T Poker Run to Cape Reinga, when up to 600 bikes take part, and also features plenty of family-friendly entertainment.

And on Saturday glorious weather greeted the crowds who made sure Awanui Day again went off in style.

Mum Mo Windsor was at Awanui Day with Ngawai Windsor-Kiao, 7, and Temiringa Windsor-Kiao, 9, checking out Lisa Marshall’s stall

The Northland Age was there to capture the excitement.

Awanui is a finalist in two Keep NZ Beautiful Awards- with the winners announced at a grand ball and awards ceremony in Wellington on November 9.

Awanui and Leigh, 100km north of Auckland, are the two finalists in the Most Beautiful Tiny Town category, while the town’s Te Hiku o te Ika toilet block has been named as one of three finalists in the Top Loo category. The other finalists are Okere Falls Scenic, Rotorua, and Waiuku Public Toilets, South Auckland.

A contingent from the town will head to Wellington for the awards ceremony on Thursday, hoping to bring one, if not both, awards north.

Naomi Millar, from Naomi’s Hand Made Customs, with her hand-mace shoes and boots

Rozita Leoni lives in Australia, but was back visiting whānau at Awanui Day

Regina Job and Raewyn Flay, from Hydro Kai, at Awanui Day

Frederick Marriott, aged 8, waits patiently for Stuart Paterson, from Hillbilly PIzzas, to prepare his meat lovers at Awanui Day

Giddy King, Nanette Henry and Joan Henare, from Te Hau Ora O Ngāpuhi, promoting the organisation’s new Mate Wareware dementia services at Awanui Day

Kylie Payton and Jos Wallace, from the Far North Rod and Custom Club, with some of the flash cars on display on Saturday. The club is gearing up for its Wheels Of Mayhem Show at the Kaitāia A&P Showgrounds on Saturday

Jolene Harrison, from Kareponia Marae fundraising group, was selling kai to Karl Ostomy, an Allied Biker from Waikuku, at Awanui on Saturday

Vanessa Sucich-Coupland and Sue Curtis, both SPCA and the Golden Years Cat Rescue Kaitāia were holding a raffle on their stall at Awanui Day

Quinten Purnell, from the Hikurangi Riders, in Whangārei, has been taking part in the TTT run at Awanui Day for the past 15 years

Valley Phelan-Marsden, aged 5, Isaiah Ngamanu-Korewha, 8 and Boaz Marsden, 8, man the sweet stall at the Awanui Day celebrations on Saturday