A mass rolling haka lined the streets of Upper Hutt yesterday as the annual White Ribbon motorcycle ride roared past on its way to Auckland to mark men standing up against violence towards women.
"There were supposed to be 17 schools and other groups dispersed along the length of Fergusson Drive, which is the main street in Upper Hutt, a distance of 5-6km," said spokesman Ric Odom.
"As the riders went past slowly, they all performed their haka to show their support. It was very moving for the riders - an uplifting experience."
More than 50 riders will be joined by local riders along the way in several core groups - one riding through the South Island, one that will ride from Bream Bay in Northland down to Auckland on Saturday, and a main group who rode from Rotorua to Wellington at the weekend and are now riding in two sub-groups up the east and west coasts to reach Auckland on Friday.
Public events will be held on Friday at Manukau Square at 10am, with a march in Henderson at 12.15pm and an event in Onewa Domain on the North Shore at 4.45pm.
