3:20p.m. 6th February 2008

Waitangi Day celebrations at Lighthouse Park, Arthur Street, Caloundra.

WHAT: Waitangi Day celebrations

WHEN: Saturday 10am-6pm

WHERE: Lighthouse Park, Arthur Street, Caloundra

ENTRY: $10 adult, $5 13-17-year-olds, under 12s free

CONTACT: Keith Lelisi, 0415 843 735.

KIA ora! The traditional Maori greeting will echo from Caloundra when Waitangi Day is celebrated this Saturday from 10am-6pm.

You can also expect to take part in a traditional Maori greeting of rubbing noses along with other Maori and Polynesian culture that includes fire dancers, the haka, stage shows, arts and crafts, and traditional food.

Held at the Caloundra Rugby Union Club, the event celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, which guaranteed New Zealand’s Maori people land rights and marked the coming together in friendship of Maori people and European settlers.

Waitangi Day organiser and head coach of the Caloundra Rugby Union Club, Keith Lelisi, said visitors were guaranteed an exciting experience.

“The event is all about giving people a taste of the Maori and Polynesian culture and celebrating what it has to offer,” he said.

The day features reggae workshops, fire-making competition, and craft stalls teaching basket weaving and grass skirt making.

A licensed bar and a wide variety of food will also be available, including hangi and umu, which are the traditional methods of slow cooking meat beneath the ground.

To secure hangi tickets book at www.caloundra.rugbynet.com.au