Special events mark 370 years of shared history

Special events are taking place in Golden Bay this week as a culmination of this year’s 370th anniversary of Abel Tasman’s 1642/43 voyage of discovery. That voyage put New Zealand on the map and also included the first meeting of two worlds, Maori and European.

“It’s been a wonderful year of events,” says Coordinator Penny Griffith of Collingwood, “Everything from walks and talks, to paintings and concerts in several places, plus the Netherlands Ambassador’s very important seminar in June. Now it’s time to mark the actual anniversary, and thank everyone locally who has helped support the commemoration.” The website www.abeltasman370.com will continue through until the end of 2013.

On Tuesday 18 December a morning tea for invited guests will be followed by a public walk from the harbour at Tarakohe up to the Abel Tasman Memorial, our national monument of the events. From there people have a wonderful view over the bay where Tasman anchored and where the confrontation with then resident iwi, Ngati Tumatakokiri, took place the following day. A boat trip out to Tasman’s anchorage will take place in the evening, and an upgraded computer interactive at the museum in Takaka will be unveiled in the afternoon.

Penny believes that it’s very important for New Zealanders to mark the anniversary of what happened every year. “It’s the earliest recorded moment in our shared history,” she explains “and we’re fortunate there are such detailed records of the people who lived here first, and what happened on those two days.” Her hopes are for a simple annual event in, probably in Golden Bay. “Although the discovery story is of national significance, it was here that the human story unfolded. It’s such a powerful story, one that brings us together as we try to imagine ourselves in their place so long ago.”

ENDS

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