Anti 'P' protesters have converged on Te Tii Marae at Waitangi ahead of tomorrow's Waitangi commemorations.

The sun has come out to play and is here to stay, with a scorcher of a long weekend across the country.

COMMENT: Shane Jones' is set to join New Zealand First but not everyone in the party is holding up the welcome sign.

The weather's going to be (finally) glorious for most of the country.

Among the hundreds of waka paddlers taking part in this year's Waitangi Day festivities will be half a dozen who stand out. They'll

Organisers of Waitangi Day celebrations at the grounds have got behind local health organisations by supporting the ban.

Willie Jackson's move to Labour shows party's commitment to Maori issues, says leader Andrew Little.

SUP170117NAGourplace.JPG: People have been flocking to Northland's beaches, like Ahipara, above, as temperatures soar across the region. By

Labour leader Andrew Little will attend Waitangi celebrations in both Australia and Waitangi this year.

The main controversy has been the Prime Minister's decision not to front at Waitangi on February 6 because he would not be allowed to speak at the powhiri.

COMMENT: There many excellent reasons for the Prime Minister to stay away from Waitangi but being banned from speaking isn't one of them.

A Ngapuhi kaumatua says the Prime Minister should not "run away" from Waitangi Day commemorations.

You know you're in Northland when Santa arrives by waka ama with a United Tribes flag flying proudly from the back of his canoe.

Worried Hato Petera College principal is expecting bad news about the future of his school.

Alex Braae visits the Treaty Grounds - a perfect spot to soak up a little of our history.

Date chosen to commemorate land wars has special significance for those who say Maori never ceded sovereignty.

At the birthplace of the nation, Winston Aldworth and his kids encounter our gritty past.

PM says it is too early to make a call on his return to Waitangi as elders propose shifting the powhiri from the controversy of Te Tii Marae.

Ngapuhi elder Kingi Taurua has claimed responsibility for the Prime Minister's no-show at Waitangi Day commemorations in the Bay of Islands.

Seeing your own country through the eyes of a tourist can reignite a love affair with the beautiful land in which we're blessed to live.

Tauranga's celestial navigator and voyaging waka skipper Jack Thatcher is due to take a prominent ceremonial role in New Zealand's nationhood celebrations at Waitangi today.

Five walks that highlight the historic significance of Waitangi and nearby areas

Prime Minister John Key says he will promote the merits of the TPP free trade agreement on the lower marae at Waitangi.

Rob Cox and family are charmed by Waitangi and its neighbouring towns.

Guided trip up Waitangi Estuary is a great introduction to kayaking, says Donna McIntyre.

Kaihatu Te Kenehi Teira, of Heritage New Zealand, said a wahi tupuna is a place important to Maori for ancestral significance and cultural and traditional values.

"I am just as committed today to leading National to victory at the next election as I was when first taking up the role as your leader in November 2006," Key said.

The 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi is a time of special reflection for all Kiwis, Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae has said in his Waitangi Day address.

A hikoi comprised of several different protest groups has made its way to the upper marae at Waitangi.

Waitangi is usually about domestic friction, but yesterday war overseas dominated on the marae.