Pae Pae in the park in Patea

Last weekend we attended a Waitangi Day celebration in Patea, 30 minutes south of us along the coast.
This is a Maori village and is known for its' two monuments, one being a war canoe (waka) with 8 people sitting in it, and a whale bone structure, (art work not artifact).

Waitangi day, is a celebration of a treaty that was signed 171 years ago, between the Pakeha,            (Europeans) and the Maori tribes. It was intended to be a foundation document outlining how it's two principal peoples would live along side each other. It was drafted rather hastily and critics say that it contained promises that could never be delivered, much less understood and key points were lost in translation.

It traveled around the country and eventually over 500 chiefs signed the document. Many Maori feel that the treaty has brought them nothing but a perpetual struggle for recognition. It is felt that the treaty should be revisited by a cross -section of Kiwi, renamed as a constitution and rewritten to honour all of the country's significant cultures, speak to their heritage, their struggles and their aspirations in their multicultural world.

But in the end, everyone loves a good party so hundreds showed up to listen to music, dance, eat and sell their crafts. Sounds like Islendingadagurrin!

For eats we had a Hangi meal. It contained chicken, pork, and beef. It's three vegetables were pumpkin, kumara (yams) and white potato. It had all the juices and it was quite yummy. It is traditionally cooked in a mud pit  and the meat and veggies divided into wrapped packages, and slow cooked over coals and rocks. This meal was cooked in a foil packet on a BBQ. 

For dessert they had a stall selling small watermelons cut in half with lime ice cream scooped on top.

There were martial arts demonstrations, experimental garage bands and a female artist (about 15 yrs called Abbie). Watch for her! She was talented.

It was quite hot out so we decided to head to the beach.

There was an abandoned barge, a collection of driftwood, and a pier.

Of course these are black sand beaches and they are incredibly hot on bare feet. These kids were sliding down the dunes, then running into the water.

We drove home with our souls warmed by the sun and our heads full of music and our stomachs full of food from the land.

Thanks for reading!