Annual Traditional Waka Pageant 2005
From Friday 4 February until Monday 7 February 2005, over 300 kaihautu and kaihoe (paddlers) gathered at Waitangi to train and take part in the Waitangi Day Celebrations.
Each year, Nga Waka Federation presents an impressive fleet of ceremonial waka to perform on the 6th of February. One of the primary purposes of the event is the preservation of the tikanga and traditions surrounding traditional and ceremonial waka.
For the 2005 Annual Traditional Waka Pageant in Waitangi, Bay of Islands, the following waka confirmed their participation:
Nga Toki Matawhaorua
Te Ika a Maui
Mataatua (Toroa)
Kahukura (Te Wananga o Aotearoa)
Te Atakura (Te Wananga o Aotearoa)
Aotearoa I
Te Aurere
This was the first time for Te Wananga o Aotearoa to join Nga Waka Federation for the Waitangi Day Celebrations.