Hokianga hospitality beats the weather

If Clayton Wikaira gets his way an annual waka ama race on the Hokianga Harbour will become a fixture on the paddling calendar.
His vision for the event is that it gains a reputation, not just for its challenging racing, but for the great Far North hospitality and impressive landscape.
He envisaged the event would be like the "Super 12" of paddling with teams being invited or applying to race, and prize money up for grabs. "Racing is part of it but the mixing and mingling afterwards is a big part of it as well," Wikaira said.
"It's about bringing paddlers from around the country together and getting to race on different waters."
The long distance race, run by Nga Kaitiaki Waka club based out of Opononi, was held for the second time last Saturday and had organisers making some last-minute changes to the programme thanks to some blustery weather conditions.
Huge waves could be seen crashing across the bar at the harbour entrance. The towering sandhills across the water from Omapere acted as a windbreak but the gusting winds still cut up the water and provided the teams of six with challenging sections during the race.
"It was a tough race. Sometimes it was a real buzz because it pushed the paddlers."
Paddlers in single waka completed a 10km race after the completion of the 16km teams event.