Nearly 3000 preschoolers and pupils from around the Tuwharetoa rohe (region) took part in last week's 29th annual Ngati Tuwharetoa Taipenga Schools Kapa Haka Festival at the Taupo Events Centre.
This year's festival, which was organised for the fifth consecutive year by Turangi's Te Kura o Hirangi School, was run over two-and-a-half days recently to give organisers and participants more time to get through the programme.
Te Kura o Hirangi principal Henarata Ham said the new format, which fitted in with the school day on Wednesday and Thursday, appeared to work much better for participating schools - some of which came from as faraway as Taumarunui.
She said the standard of kapa haka at the festival was high.