Kaikohe responds to Ngapuhi Festival move

The Ngapuhi Festival attracted thousands to Kaikohe, but many residents of the town are upset it's being moved to Whangarei next year. Photo/File

Kaikohe residents are dismayed they will lose out on hosting the Ngapuhi Festival next year, saying the town is at the heart of the iwi and it should stay put.

The biennial festival gives Ngapuhi an opportunity to bask in the talent and richness of their own culture and showcase it to the wider community.

It's an event that brings whanau from far and wide back home to their roots. It was one of the few events people had to look forward to in the town and Kaikohe residents were keen to air their views on the festival - which attracts up to 30,000 people to the town - being moved to Whangarei's Toll Stadium on January 27.

Many see the loss as a double hit, not only do they lose the much-needed economic benefits - about $5 million some years - it has also hit their sense of pride.

Kaikohe has struggled with its image recently and resident Mike Norman said the festival was one of the few positive things that gave folk a sense of pride and identity.

"There's a lot of history in this place with our tupuna, it gives you a grounding."

Far North District councillor for Kaikohe and Hokianga Sally Macauley said the festival raised the morale of the town so much so that even the crime rate would drop during the weekend of the festival.

"I'm very disappointed. Kaikohe is the heart of Ngapuhi. The festival began many years ago in Kaikohe and this is where they should remain," Ms Macauley said.

Many referred to Kaikohe as The Hub of The North, The Heart of Ngapuhi or Te Pu o Te Wheke which means The Heart of The Octopus, from a story which located Kaikohe as the gateway between the east and west, she said.

Kaikohe resident Mitch Rakatu said it had been difficult in 2011 when Ngati Whatua in Auckland hosted the festival. He believed the strength of the festival was in pulling people back home.

"This is where their roots are and often they become ostracised, if not separated, from who they are. If they really want to tautoko such an event, come home and do it, come home and reconnect with their people, come home and reconnect with their land, come home and reconnect with all these little areas that make up who they are," Mr Rakatu said.

Te Runanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngapuhi runs the festival and event manager Tio Taiaki said the decision to move the festival was hard but the Runanga did due diligence in terms of consultation.

"Kaikohe is considered the hub, historically and culturally. Whangarei is also what we describe as part of the Sacred House of Ngapuhi, so Whangarei is also coming back home for a lot of people as well."

Mr Taiaki said it decided to move the festival to be more accessible to those in Auckland but not too far from Kaikohe, so Whangarei was an acceptable middle ground.

When asked about the festival being one of the few events Kaikohe had to look forward to he said he completely understood the feeling.

"It's great that those in Kaikohe and the surrounding community have a sense of ownership in the festival, even though it's the runanga's event that we deliver for our people."

Mr Tiaki said free transport will be available from Kaikohe to Whangarei to alleviate some of the concerns people had expressed about the cost of travel.

Far North Mayor John Carter said it was disappointing from a council perspective that the event was to be moved away from Kaikohe, and hoped it would not be permanent.

The location of future festivals will remain uncertain with Mr Tiaki saying the runanga would wait for feedback from the next one before making that decision.