GISBORNE - One of the stars of the Ruamano 2000 dawn event, Gisborne's official millennium celebration, has sailed into Poverty Bay amid fanfare and festivities.
The 22m, double-hulled voyaging canoe Te Au O Tonga was greeted by waka toa Mataatua and Te Ikanui a Rauru on the water and by family and friends on the dock.
The vessel, a two-thirds replica of the type of canoes that sailed to New Zealand hundreds of years ago, will head a fleet of waka for the Ruamano ceremony.
It took two days for the crew to sail it from Auckland.
Three Marshall Islands waka that will also take part in Ruamano were freighted in last week.
The arrival of the waka highlighted a big weekend of pre-Christmas and millennium celebrations for Gisborne, including the city's Christmas parade, a full dress rehearsal for the Ruamano event and carols in the park.
Meanwhile, the giant waka belonging to Ngati Porou was transported up the East Coast yesterday to Rangitukia, at the mouth of the Waiapu River near Ruatoria.
It will be part of the iwi's millennium celebrations, which are centred on nearby Mount Hikurangi. - NZPA
Millennium waka sails into bay
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.