Bad weather has forced Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ plane to Kerikeri to return to Auckland ahead of Waitangi proceedings this coming weekend.
Hipkins was set to meet iwi leaders tomorrow, with other leaders descending on the Bay of Islands for Waitangi Day proceedings.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office said the plane tried to land “a couple of times” at the Bay of Islands airport in Kerikeri.
The plane stayed in the air, circling the airport a number of times before a decision was made to fly back to Auckland.
Hipkins will now drive up to Waitangi, which the Herald understands he will do tonight.
