In Rotorua hundreds gathered at Rakeiao Marae for a double celebration, it was the 100th year of their ancestral meeting house and three of Te Arawa's finest are recipients in the Queen's New Year Honours List.
As the saying goes, ‘return to your mountains to be bathed in the winds of Tāwhiri-mātea,’ this outlines the atmosphere today as we celebrate Sir Toby Curtis and Kingi Biddle.
According to Kingi Biddle, “This is uplifting to the heart and soul, the receiving of this award, and that this was not an individual thing, but has been the work of many.”
Earlier this week the recipients of the Queen's Honours list received their awards at the Governor's house in Auckland, but today belonged to the iwi as a whole, acknowledging their achievements.