Thousands to celebrate all things Ngati Hine

The biennial Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine Festival will return to Otiria Marae again next month. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The smell of great kai, the sound of sweet tunes and the stomp of the haka will be heard from Otiria Marae as thousands of people celebrate all things Ngati Hine.

The biennial Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine Festival will return this year to Otiria Marae on March 13-14 and is expected to bring a big crowd.

The chairman of the organising committee, Pita Tipene, said the Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine theme was tatai hono or strengthening relationships.

"It's about having fun and chilling out. It's about showcasing the skills of our Ngati Hine people and focusing on values such as culture, te reo, customs and beliefs. It's a meeting pad for all of the whanau."

Mr Tipene said the first day of the event was about celebrating local schools and kohanga reo while the second day was for everybody. "It's a day when the whole whanau is able to turn out to enjoy the [day] and just bask in being a tribe of people."

A range of events will take place ranging from kapa haka performances and individual performances to debates.

There will be a village of food and Mr Tipene said stalls from providers such as the Ngati Hine Health Trust provided an opportunity for whanau to get health checks and obtain information.

Up to 7000 people are expected at this year's event. While they could move the festival to an open field, Otiria Marae was its home, he said. "I just feel by doing that it loses its wairua and the smaller venue can cause a few problems but we manage those."