Waitangi – a place to come together for Te Ope Whakaora whānau

Hamilton Corps Officers, Captains Stu and Michelle Lee, had often thought about attending Waitangi but it wasn’t until last year when they packed up their camping gear and headed north.

Now it’s a regular appointment on their calendar and they’re encouraging others to consider attending the four-day festival and commemorations in 2026.

“It was always our intention to come up, it’s something we’ve never experienced,” he says.

“It’s our second year here and it’s a wonderful coming together of people in unity and sharing of whakawhanaungatanga.”

The couple, who are both Tangata Tiriti, found it to be a vastly different experience to the image portrayed in the media of protest and anger.

“The first time we were quite anxious and nervous, having only seen how it has been portrayed in the media, with all the protest and angst, but it’s a place of unity, we love the connections we make,” Stu says.

Along with more than a dozen other Kirikiriroa Te Ope Whakaora whānau, they set up camp in the Waitangi Holiday Park, just a short walk from Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae and the Treaty Grounds.

Along with experiencing the unique atmosphere at Waitangi, they were also welcomed with a pōwhiri on to Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae alongside newly appointed Territorial Commander, Commissioner Janine Donaldson.

“The warm welcome we received was very moving and we feel very blessed to have been able to be a part of it,” Stu says.

Michelle says their experience last year had given them a greater understanding of what to do this year.

“The difference this year is we’ve seen more and experienced more,” she says.

“Seeing the pōwhiri and the haka at the Treaty Grounds, it sends shivers down your spine. What an honour”

The Kirikiriroa crew were joined by another roopu from Ngāmotu, led by Auxiliary Captains Gareth and Maryanne Shearman, and Stu says he hopes 2026 will see an even larger contingent of Te Ope Whakaora whānau making the trek north.

“Come next year, it’s a wonderful experience,” he says.