Tauranga’s Takitimu waka will be part of a flotilla escorting the casket for Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII along the Waikato River to Taupiri on Thursday. On board will be 52 paddlers from Tauranga.

“It’s a huge honour and speaks to our very close relationship with Waikato, which has been enduring over 180 years, and certainly since Tainui landed in Tauranga,” said Ngāti Ranginui Iwi chairman Charlie Rahiri.

The Tauranga Māori community has very close ties to the Kīngitanga and have had since the inception of the whole Kīngitanga movement.

“Ngāti Ranginui, are deeply saddened by the passing of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Our relationship with Waikato and Tainui iwi predates the establishment of the Kīngitanga through our alignment and defiance in the time of the land wars,” said Charlie.

“We were very much part of the establishment of the Kiingitanga and have been supporters of the Kaupapa ever since by having members on the Kauhanganui and later the Kaunihera, Kings Council.

“Our waka Takitimu has been invited to be a part of the commemoration to be a part of the flotilla. It will be on the ground on Wednesday, accompanied by 70-100 of our warriors, including our paddlers.”

The 26.5m Takitimu waka being lifted by crane from the Wairoa River on Monday. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Kīngi Tūheitia died aged 69, on August 30, surrounded by his wife Makau Ariki and their children Whatumoana, Korotangi and Ngawai Hono I Te Po.

He had been in hospital recovering from heart surgery, just days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation.

Kīngi Tūheitia is lying in state at Tūrangawaewae Marae for five days, with thousands of people coming to pay their respects each day.

Two powhiri are being held each day at the marae, at 8am and 2pm, for five days, with a contingent from Tauranga Moana attending the Monday morning powhiri.

Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo: Supplied.

Master navigator Jack Thatcher, who has trained the Takitimu crew, said he was up at 4.30am on Monday, leaving for the Waikato at 5am.

“We went to the old military camp Hopuhupu where they were bussing everyone to the marae,” Jack said.

Hopuhopu is a former NZ Army Camp in use from 1920-1989, located 5km north of Ngāruawāhia.

“You didn’t have to wait long, we got on the third bus, and when we left the marae, buses were waiting to take us back. We had easily 200 of us there from Tauranga Moana. Four busloads and cars.”

Waikato police said there will be daily road closures and heavy traffic around the marae until after the funeral on Thursday.

“What we’ve seen is the response not just from Māoridom but from New Zealand in general on the death of the King,” Charlie said.

Charlie said he’s “deeply saddened” by the King’s death and had spent time with him only two weeks ago.

He said Ngāti Ranginui iwi’s relationship with Waikato-Tainui pre-dated the establishment of the Kīngitanga.

The Kīngitanga, or Māori King movement, is one of the most enduring Māori institutions that emerged in colonial times and Tūheitia was the seventh sovereign since its inception.

“We were part of the establishment and have been loyal to the kaupapa of the Kīngitanga ever since its establishment in 1858,” Charlie said.

The Takitimu waka being paddled on the Tauranga harbour. Photo: Robert Morgenstern Atara Film.

The annual poukai event at Huria Marae in Tauranga was a “reinforcement of that close bond and relationship”.

“We’re one of the only places outside of Tainui that host that event – the annual Poukai where the King did his pilgrimage around Waikato in the first instance and Tainui, but also to Tauranga.”

“The annual poukai at Huria is another example of how this relationship has remained strong over the years. Since the opening of Tamateapokaiwhenua in 1956 the institution of poukai has been a constant and provides the opportunity to connect intimately with the King and our wider Waikato, Tainui whānau.

“Sharing the poukai with other marae including Tutereinga, Wairoa, Hangarau and more recently Whareroa meant that the kaupapa is kept active and alive throughout Tauranga Moana. Kīngi Tūheitia would also attend significant events we would host as did his mother the late Queen Te Ataairangikaahu and Grandfather King Koroki before him.”

Tamahau Tangitu with the eyes of Takitimu that are placed at the front of the waka. Photo: Robert Morgenstern Atara Film.

Charlie said Tūheitia stood for unity and progression.

“He also encouraged the marae to allow the younger ones to speak on the marae. Thirty to 40 years ago we would never have seen that. He was future-focused and future-proofing our language and customs.”

Charlie said the King’s death was “very untimely and a shock”.

“Sitting on the marae you can feel the sorrow. I was there 18 years ago at his mother’s tangi. It’s a resurgence of grief from that time too.

“I thought he was coming into his own over the last few years.

“Kīngi Tūheitia will be fondly remembered amongst many other things, for his steely determination, drive for kotahitanga and his passion for creating better futures for Māori. We extend our deepest condolences to Makau Ariki, their tamariki, mokopuna and Te Kahui Ariki.”

The past five days have been an opportunity for the iwi of the country to pay their respects.

“We are facilitating visits from national dignitaries as well,” said Charlie. “The international visitors are coming to pay their respects. The president of French Polynesia came on Sunday.

“The King connected Māoridom to the world and did a lot of travelling to do that and was present at a lot of events. He encouraged us to look deep at our enduring relationships across the globe.”

Following a tangihanga on Thursday, Kīngi Tūheitia will then be taken to his final resting place and will be laid to rest alongside his mother, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and previous Māori Kings on the sacred Taupiri Mountain in Waikato.

Taupiri is the sacred burial ground of Waikato Māori, and the summit is reserved for kings and queens.

The Takitimu waka being placed on a truck on Monday, ready to be transported to the Waikato to join the Māori King’s funeral flotilla. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Jack said there were originally only going to be three waka in the flotilla.

“Waikato have six or seven waka, but they’ve only got two that aren’t under maintenance at the moment.

“I was talking to my crew, saying ‘do we want to go there?’, and they were going ‘yes’. So, I said ‘well I’ll go and ask’.

“What I didn’t know at the time was that they had already asked if we could consider coming over. Twenty minutes later I got a text saying it’s all done.”

Takitimu waka, which was launched at Auckland Anniversary weekend in 1990, is 26.5m long. It has previously been taken to Waitangi for the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, with Jack training the crew in the Cargo Shed in downtown Tauranga.

On Monday afternoon the waka was floated around from Te Puna to the Wairoa River where it was lifted out of the water by crane and placed onto a truck for transporting across to the Waikato.

Jack said while there will be 52 paddlers, they can get up to 80 on board.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to watch as Tūheitia’s body is taken by the flotilla of waka down the Waikato River and his casket carried up Taupiri Mountain for burial.

“The honour given to Tauranga for the waka to be there is huge. It shows the close connection that Tauranga has to the king,” said Jack.

Tauranga will also be part of the discussions of the hui rangitira – gathering of chiefs – to determine the successor, which is the tradition. Tainui kaikōrero Paraone Gloyne said discussions about who will succeed Kīngi Tūheitia are beginning today.

The next Māori monarch will be elected from among the King’s whānau and likely crowned on Thursday, the day of his tangihanga.