Tour the islands this weekend at Pasifika

5 March 2013

Tour the islands this weekend at Pasifika

Want to visit 10 Pacific Islands in just two days? Avoid the jetlag and do just that at this weekend’s colourful Pasifika Festival.

Visit Pasifika Festival and be welcomed by 10 Pacific Islands celebrating their unique cultures and traditions, all at one great event at Western Springs Park.

Mini ‘villages’ sited around the park will represent each of the 10 Pacific nations, showcasing the best of their heritage.

Aotearoa – Try hangi-cooked food, watch traditional tattooing and listen to Kiwi artists Moana, Toni Huata and Churr Bro and try your hand at weaving flax

Cook Islands – Be entertained by drums and ukulele shows, try the famous poke dishes and indulge in sweet pineapple desserts.

Fiji – Watch expert stone carvers and mat weavers at work in the Fiji village, and sample traditional marinated raw fish, fried eel and baked taro leaves.

Kiribati – Hear the Kirikiriroa Cultural Group sing traditional songs, try your hand at weaving in the activity tent and sample sundried fish at Kiribati village.

Niue – Enjoy music from the award-winning gospel choir MUMT at Niue village, then tuck into sweet coconut desserts and baked pork.

Samoa – Join a traditional carving workshop, watch the inaugural Samoa Voices Choir competition and be dazzled by dance displays.

Tahiti – Take a dance lesson or strum a ukulele in the activity tent, shop for flowers and scented oils, or sample chestnuts and baked fish.

Tokelau – Watch weaving demonstrations, try the famous fekei dish and join a language lesson to learn some basic words and phrases.

Tonga – Hear large brass bands and tuck into spit roast pig at Tonga village, which will be visited by a member of the Tongan royal family – the Hon. Phaedra ‘Anaseini Tupouveihola Fusitu’a.

Tuvalu – Listen to traditional songs and ukulele performances, watch the fatele dance and sample the delicacies fekei and ota.

There will also be Pan Pacific villages featuring food and craft that is not indigenous to just one Pacific Island but is common across the region – creating a melting pot of colour, sound and taste to experience.

Visit www.aucklandnz.com/pasifika to find out more.

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