The news desk, at late notice, sent up two more reporters and a photographer who were to assist me.
Because it was such late notice they couldn't find suitable accommodation for us all so (and this only ever happened the once in the 10 years I was a journo) they booked us a super salubrious suite overlooking the harbour at a posh private hotel.
My memories of Waitangi Day itself are pretty foggy - it could be because they also gave us an expense account - but from what I do remember was that it was nothing like I'd been lead to believe.
In the months prior I'd been in touch with the people at Te Tii Marae, which is the lower "working" marae at Waitangi as opposed to the upper ceremonial marae at the Treaty grounds.
I found them to be just like every other organisation I'd come in contact with - hard working people in the background and big "I Am-mers" at the front.
The Herald had earlier been pushing me to find out why the marae's toilet block cost so much. Apparently there'd been a massive overspend and money had been wasted etc etc.
I'd tried to talk to the marae's Kingi Taurua about it but he called me a racist, swore at me and hung up before ringing back half an hour later and apologising ... before swearing at me again and hanging up for the second time.
In the end I went to an unrelated hui at the marae and while there took the opportunity to talk to one of the ladies on the committee who was working out back in the kitchen.
I asked her point blank about cost over-runs with the toilet block and she sighed, put down what she was doing and put me straight ...
The toilet block costs had never been budgeted correctly because while Te Tii was a quiet marae most of the year, for a few days in February it hosted hundreds of people, including foreign dignitaries and government officials, and the loos had to cope with the maximum load.
Also, the council up there had become over-zealous in enforcing rules and had caused delays and all sorts. Finally, Waitangi wasn't a big place and the marae had struggled to get tradies to do the job.
She said it was exasperating that every year the people of Waitangi host a massive event for the nation and all the media - thatis, people like myself - could focus on was negativity.
I couldn't argue with her explanation as it all made sense, but when I told my news desk that there wasn't any scandal they were most disappointed.
But, back to Waitangi Day without Helen Clark ...
Me and my erstwhile journalist crew awoke late in our hotel suite with hangovers. The photographer, who apparently didn't suffer from hangovers, was already out and about snapping pictures of people enjoying the day.
I wandered down to the Waitangi campground where people where flying the Confederation of Chiefs flag, the Tino Rangitiratanga flag and the New Zealand flag as well as the odd silver fern.
I grabbed a hotdog and had a chat to one of the Harawira boys about the day. I asked him what the kaumatua thought about all the fuss and he gave a wry laugh and said something along the lines of "it's just another year".
Later I followed along behind activist and lawyer Annette Sykes who led a protest to occupy the bridge between the upper and lower marae. She told us to hold fast even if the police tried to force us off but the cops never came.
Eventually all the bridge occupiers wandered off to their own respective destinations and I wandered up to the Treaty grounds proper to hear the speeches.
I remember Tame Iti was there speaking in Maori - he was all fired up and it sounded serious. A tall Maori man who identified himself as being from Auckland asked if the speeches could be repeated in English as he hadn't learned te reo. He wanted to know what was being said but elements in the crowd booed him.
I saw Jonathan Milne running around looking stressed with his notebook - he was the Maori affairs reporter for the Dominion at the time I think. He took a minute to chat before sprinting off to cover some other breaking news aspect of Waitangi Day.
I saw senior Herald journo John Roughan there. I got a surprise as no one told me he'd be there, and he didn't really want to talk to me as he was busy covering serious stuff.
In the end I just wandered off back to the campground where I ended up chatting to a lady who had been involved in designing the Tino Rangitiratanga flag. She told me the flag was never meant to be divisive and incorporated traditional Maori colours with a stylised koru.
By the time evening rolled around I had chucked in the reporting bizzo and went for a swim in the harbour beside the waka at anchor.
I'd written some lines for the Herald essentially saying "nothing to see here" and they didn't print much of it. I don't blame them but without the prime minister there, the day went well.
I finished my Waitangi experience with some beers. Standing around me were media, low level government people and protesters.
Someone got up and did a haka at one point. We all laughed and had another beer.
