Friday Five: Your Waitangi weekend in Welly sorted

1. Enjoy our Waitangi events online

Waitangi Day commemorations are coming to a screen near you! With wet weather forecast, stay rugged up inside and watch our Whānau Film Night and Te Rā o Waitangi coverage from the comfort of your couch.

Whānau Film Night is on Saturday 5 February at 6pm and can be accessed on our Facebook or YouTube pages. Join us virtually for an hour of Māori and indigenous animated short films curated by Wairoa Film Festival

Te Rā o Waitangi begins on Sunday 6 February at midday. Visit our Facebook or YouTube channels and enjoy Māori performers, including Ngāti Pōneke Māori Club, Joel Ruys & the Huia Express, Hani Totorewa and many more!

2. Put on your wet weather gear and explore some historical sites around Pōneke

Pōneke was inhabited by Māori long before Pākehā reached New Zealand’s shores. Take a walk and visit some remnants of pā in our parks and reserves around the city.

Some roots with historically significant spots include Makara Walkway, the Eastern Walkway, Te Ara o Nga Pā Tupuna and more.

3. Tune into the Kotahi Music Festival – featuring Fat Freddy’s Drop

Kahurangi School’s annual Kotahi Music Festival has had to make the shift to the virtual realm this year. Tune in on Facebook or YouTube on Sunday 6 February between 3-6pm to catch performances by The Nudge, DJ Magnette, The Baker’s Three, and Fat Freddy’s Drop!

4. Spend some time learning more about the history of this public holiday

Waitangi Day is a public holiday that marks the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, The Treaty of Waitangi. Every year we get a day off to celebrate this, but do you know the history behind the signing of this document and the events that followed?

Pop into a Wellington City Library and issue a book about the history of Waitangi Day, or use the eLibrary to access books from the comfort of your own home.

Need somewhere easy to start? Read about the history of Waitangi Day in Pōneke on our website.

Maybe reading isn’t your thing? Don’t let that get in your way of learning. You can listen to a podcast! Try RNZ's The Aotearoa History Show or search ‘Waitangi Day’ on your favourite podcast platform.

5. Visit the Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Ngā tohu kotahitanga exhibition at Te Papa museum

Are you more of a visual learner? Pop in to Te Papa to learn more about Te Tiriti. While you are there, visit some of their other exhibits such as Rongomaraeroa: Te Marae, Mana Whenua or Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow.

And remember to stay safe and follow the current COVID-19 Red guidelines!

Watch out each Friday for a fun list of five great activities to do, places to explore, or things to discover in our awesome city.