"Ho ho ho! Meri Kirihimete," he called, as he hitched up his trousers and waded to shore, then started the serious business of handing out gifts. Thanks to some elf overtime in the toy factory, every child was able to line up twice for a present.
Hana Koko's visit on Thursday evening was organised by members of the Waitangi Waka Ama Club, who also put on a beachfront barbecue.
One of the parents, Jan Roberts, said it was an "only in Waitangi" way of bringing people together.
"We're all paddling in the same waka," she said.
Hana Koko said he was keen to come back next Christmas because Waitangi made the Bay of Islands special. Explaining his choice of transport, he said: "Well, for a start we lost the reindeer, but coming to Waitangi by waka just seemed the right thing to do."
Meanwhile, police Youth Aid officer Rob Cameron, who helped get the club off the ground, said police had developed a close partnership with Waitangi through waka ama, but with that came a responsibility to help out when needed.
"A lot of people won't have the happy Christmas it should be. We've got people here who are struggling to get by and feed their children, who're paying really high rents. It's a real concern," he said.
Mr Cameron also teaches waka ama to the pupils of Paihia School, some of whom had never been on the water despite living right next to it. As well as getting exercise and a chance to experience the Bay the children learnt about the significance of waka and "where they come from and who they are".
