King Tuheitia's eldest son Te Ariki Tamaroa Whatumoana Paki surprised Kiingitanga supporters with a message of appreciation from his father, at a poukai held at the Waikato's Waikare Marae.
More than 300 faithfuls gathered at the Te Kauwhata marae, and his address was welcomed by all, following a successful three hour kidney operation undertaken by the Māori monarch and his middle child, Korotangi, at Auckland hospital on Wednesday.
"And the final point I would like to touch on is that the road to recovery is a long one, and I ask that we continue to gather and draw upon our physical strength but more importantly our combined spiritual strength to ensure we remain determined and reassured,” said Te Ariki Tamaroa Whatumoana.