Waka...Haka...New Zealand Festival, 2018

A waka is a Maori sea-going vessel of yore. A haka is the traditional Maori greeting/challenge. Perhaps the most famous haka is the All Blacks' numerous instances preceding their rugby matches. Our favorite was by a New Zealand military band at the Edinburgh Tattoo some years ago. Anyhow, the biennial New Zealand Festival was set to kick-off, so to speak, as several waka arrived in Wellington harbor, outside Te Papa, the national museum. They were to be welcomed by a thousand-voice haka. We'd arrived just in time...

But first, dinner at a favorite northern Thai restaurant

There were some thousands there for the ceremony, and the best we could do,
mostly, was in font of a big screen

Main guy

I think this may have been the waka we saw from the ferry that afternoon...
anyhow, there were seven waka hourua, double- hulled vessels that were 
completing a months-long voyage from Samoa, the Cook Islands, etc; a
reminder that these folks' navigational exploits, centuries ago, made the
Vikings and Portuguese, and Columbus, look like veritable pikers

Main gal

Part of the throng, and harbor-side Welly

Coverage by drone; interestingly, NZ drone laws are extremely fussy (must
have explicit  permission from land-owners, individuals over-flown)

A huge traditional canoe arrives

More throng and a bit of Te Papa

More arrivals

A bit of Wellington harbor as the sun sets

The haka

Other main gal; the whole thing scored, scripted, choreographed,
etc.

And we were there, understanding little, but enjoying the pageantry
and the moment