Dual heritage commemorations locked in

Thursday, 16 May 2019

Tōtaranui 250 Trust general manager Chrissy Powlesland says dual heritage commemorations in Marlborough could draw thousands, as it was the only place in the South Island where Captain Cook landed.

The itinerary for dual heritage celebrations in Marlborough will include two welcome parties, a night show and a roadshow, organisers reveal.

It comes after the Ministry of Culture and Heritage announced Pacific and European vessels would sail around New Zealand as part of national Tuia 250 commemorations on Wednesday.

In the flotilla were the Spirit of New Zealand from Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland and the HM Bark Endeavour, a replica of Captain Cook's ship from the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

The Endeavour replica was reported to be rumoured for the flotilla from as early as February 2016, in the Government's worst kept secret.

Marlborough is gearing up to host Tuia 250, which commemorates the first contact between Māori and Europeans.

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The Endeavour replica, bound for Picton in November 2019.

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Accompanying the tall ships would be two waka hourua (double-hulled canoes) - the Haunui from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland and the Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti from Tauranga.

The Fa'afaite i te Ao Mā'ohi, a va'a moana from Pape'ete, Tahiti, would also join the flotilla, the ministry said.

The ships were part of national commemorations at four of Cook's landing places in New Zealand. These included Gisborne, Ship Cove, the Bay of Islands, and the Coromandel Peninsula.

Tōtaranui 250 Trust general manager Chrissy Powlesland said commemorations in Marlborough would begin with the flotilla spending time at Meretoto/Ship Cove, in Tōtaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound, on November 21.

The ships would attend a pōwhiri limited to about 500 people.

The Picton foreshore, with views of the Marlborough Sounds, will be a great backdrop for the flotilla.

A 'huge welcome' would then take place on Picton foreshore the following morning at 10am.

The ships would then be open to the public for two days, from November 23 to 24.

Powlesland says the ships would remain in Marlborough until November 28.

Accompanying the flotilla would be a roadshow, which would include information tents on each vessel, a fold-out exhibition truck and a pop-up Star Dome planetarium.

A light show, flash mobs and fireworks might be some of the spectacles available at the November 23 night show.

The youth training vessel the Spirit of New Zealand will sail to Marlborough as part of the region's dual heritage commemorations.

'Ideally, all lights in Picton would [turn] off for the night show. The idea is to convey our key messages and show an amazing night of entertainment,' Powlesland said.

School students and event volunteers would receive exclusive access to the flotilla on November 25, she added.

Meretoto/Ship Cove was Captain Cook's favourite anchorage in New Zealand and was used by Māori as a gateway between the North and South Islands.

The ships would remain in the region until November 28.

Iwi would lead a farewell celebration on Rarangi Beach, north of Blenheim, to mark the flotilla's departure, although Powlesland said she was unsure when this would be.

'We're expecting thousands of people, as this is the only place in the South Island where Cook landed on his first voyage,' she said.

Cook made five visits to Meretoto/Ship Cove, the first one on January 15, 1770, and he spent a total of 105 days there, more than anywhere else in New Zealand.

Tōtaranui 250 Trust co-chair Raymond Smith said while the experiences local iwi had with Cook were quite good, they were unaware of what would come after British sovereignty was declared over the South Island on January 31, 1770.

'We're looking forward to sharing those stories, and also the stories of our own people's arrival to this land.

'This is a great time for all of us to reflect on where we have come from, and we are are going,' Smith said.

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett said witnessing the arrival of the flotilla, which will be greeted by four local waka tāngata, would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he encouraged the whole community to get involved.

'We have an incredible natural backdrop in Tōtaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound that promises to be the highlight of the flotilla's voyage of New Zealand,' he said.

'The sight of the waka, va'a and the tall ships representing our dual heritage will be absolutely stunning.'