Waitangi honeymoon for the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern?

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and fiance Clarke Gayford pictured in 2020. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says a visit to Waitangi next February might be the closest thing she gets to a honeymoon.

Ardern's visit to Northland earlier this week was dominated by the Covid vaccination drive and a few small-scale protests, but it was also peppered with references to her upcoming wedding to TV presenter Clarke Gayford.

Ardern first revealed her plans to tie the knot while visiting a Māori Wardens' camp in Paihia in February this year.

Quizzed by the Advocate this week about where in Northland she and Gayford would holiday after the wedding, Ardern said she didn't know if a honeymoon was even on the cards.

''Probably the nearest thing to when we're going to get married will end up being a visit to Waitangi for work. We'll treat it as that.''

Ardern said her parents had spent their honeymoon tripping around Northland, including a visit to Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

The Prime Minister also came in for some teasing over her wedding arrangements while she was being welcomed to Kawakawa by Ngāti Hine kaumātua Waihoroi Shortland.

Referring to reports of a menu dispute with a wedding venue in Gisborne, Shortland joked Ngāti Hine would cover the costs of her upcoming nuptials in Northland.

"We'll even allow any chef of your choice to supervise the hāngī," he said.

Shortland — who has once before welcomed Ardern at the same spot in Kawakawa — said in future she would not be welcomed as a guest but would instead sit with the hau kainga (home people).

''Ko tangata whenua koe,'' he said, meaning, "you are one of us".

Ardern and Gayford originally booked the Bushmere Arms outside Gisborne for their big day but the deal broke down amid disagreements over catering.

They are believed to be still aiming for a Gisborne wedding this summer.

Since being first elected as PM in 2017, Ardern has spent five days at Waitangi every February. Previous prime ministers have stayed for a day or two to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi or in some cases have skipped the commemorations altogether.