Next weekend the waters of Lake Wakatipu will be awash with the furious dipping of oars as the local community has a go at Waka Ama.

The Wakatipu Waka Ama Festival takes place on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19 as part of the Summerdaze Festival.

Four waka ama (outrigger Waka, each seating six) will travel down from Christchurch with crew and whanau for the event.  A waka tangata (larger one-hulled waka, seats 14) will be driven down from Nelson.

Early each morning of the two day festival, local crews will practise in the water for a couple of hours.  Then the waka ama will be available for the public to have a go - no experience necessary.  On Saturday, the public session runs from 12noon to 4.00pm.  On Sunday, the local community is able to experience the waka tangata from 10.00am to 12noon, and waka ama from 12noon to 4.00pm.  A regatta at 4.30pm will follow Sunday?s public session, and then local celebrities will be pitted against the regatta winners.

The event is being managed by Te Huatanga o Wakatipu Whanau and supported by Auahi Kore (Smokefree), Outrigger at the Beacon Queenstown, Queenstown-Lakes District Council, Q92FM, Shotover Jet, He Oranga Poutama, Ngai Tahu, Central Lakes Trust, SPARC, Public Health South and Skycity Queenstown Casino Community Trust.

Whanau group chairman Ned Webster said waka ama was a very popular sport around the country and ultimately it would be great to see a club established in Queenstown.

"The long term goal is to set up a club and we'll be asking people to make a gold coin donation towards that end.  At the very least, we would like locals to be able to have a different cultural and physical type of experience based on a traditional Maori activity," Mr Webster said.

Kaumatua and historian Huata Holmes will be on hand to explain the significance and history of waka ama. Local DJs and bands will entertain and people are welcome to just come along to watch, Mr Webster said.

During the event, the whanau group will be holding a sausage and vegie sizzle and on Sunday from 3.00pm they will be selling pre-packed hangi kai.

Queenstown-Lakes District Council Waste Minimisation Officer Linda Wright will be at the event along with a team of volunteers to encourage recycling.

ENDS

For further information contact Ned Webster on 03 441 8986 or QLDC Special Projects Manager Lee Harris on 027 233 7934.

By: Kiri