Te Matatini: My kapa haka dream realised

It has always been a dream of Rotorua's Hinerongonui Kingi to perform at the prestigious national kapa haka competition, Te Matatini. The Daily Post reporter talks about what the realisation of that dream has meant for her.
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Trying to describe my kapa haka journey is harder than I thought it would be. How do you explain something so significant to you? How do you describe a dream that's about to become reality?
I'm one of many Te Arawa people who have trained for about five months to perform at Te Matatini, the national kapa haka competition being held in Gisborne this week.
Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival 2011 started yesterday. It features 42 teams from around the country and Australia, all competing for the coveted title of best kapa haka team.
Judges will select finalists from the first three days of competition to compete in the finals on Sunday.
To prepare for the competition I've been training. I've spent nearly every weekend with my group, learning and practising items for my first national kapa haka festival.
I will perform for Te Mataarae i o Rehu, a group I have always loved and admired.
I remember going to watch the group perform when the nationals were held in Auckland. I must have been about 11 years old.
My family went to support my older brother Rikihana, who at the time would have been one of the youngest performers in the group. It was from there that my inner fire and passion for kapa haka grew.
Growing up I spent many hours watching the group's performances on DVD and learning as many waiata as I could.
I knew then that one day I was going to perform alongside those fierce warriors.
So at the age of 13 I joined the Rotorua Boys' and Girls' High School kapa haka team, Raukura, tutored by former Te Mataarae i o Rehu kaitataki wahine (female leader) Taini Morrison.
It was then I was given the opportunity to grasp the unique style of kapa haka I now love and live by.
It was only at last year's Te Arawa regional kapa haka festival that I performed for the group for the first time. It was a sad and emotional time taking to the stage without the physical presence of a person many called "the backbone of the roopu", Taini Morrison.
However, her strong spirit carried the group to a proud first equal, alongside our other whanau and friends Ngati Rangiwewehi.
Practising for the nationals has been a good learning experience and very challenging at times. It has required a lot of sacrifice with weekends away from family and friends during the summer holidays, but it has been worth it.
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Te Matatini
Five kapa haka groups will be representing Te Arawa at the festival. They are Nga Uri o Te Whanoa, Manaia, Te Mataarae i o Rehu, Ngati Rangiwewehi and Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao. Manaia will perform today and the remaining Te Arawa groups will perform tomorrow on the last day of competition before the finals.