Tearful conclusion to beautiful river trip

The Tira Hoe Waka ties up for lunch at at Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens on Wednesday.

This year's 28th Tira Hoe Waka was one of the smaller ones, but one of the best co-ordinator Susan Osborne can remember.

"I struggle with the right words to say how overwhelming and how beautiful it was," she said.

There were nearly 60 Whanganui iwi descendants paddling from Taumarunui to Pipiriki on the annual two-week journey of learning.

Some stopped there, while the others continued to Whanganui, lunching at Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens on Wednesday and leaving from Putiki Marae on Thursday.

There were a lot of tears - of joy and laughter as well as sorrow - and a lot of history and many waiata (songs) were learned. The rangatahi (young people) played games that made their elders long to join in.

Kai co-ordinators provided food that was "second to none" and about 50 people supported the paddlers, travelling by road to meet them at marae.

The river was higher than usual, Ms Osborne said, and most of the rain happened only at night.

The moment when the waka (canoes) formed up across the river from Putiki Marae to await their final welcome was especially memorable.

"It was very unified. Probably the most united our tira has been for many, many years."

In the evaluations people spoke of how they had found a connection and a belonging to their river. One woman who has been living in Australia said she wanted to return here.

It was Ms Osborne's last year as volunteer co-ordinator, but she was confident young people would carry it on. She wanted to thank her people for the opportunity to learn and give back.

The group now goes on to Ratana Pa to take part in the Ratana 25th celebrations. Also this year will be the third reading of the Whanganui River's settlement legislation in Parliament.

"That will be a major milestone, given that our tupuna fought for the river and its wellbeing and our people."