Port Marlborough is now on board as a major sponsor for the upcoming Tuia 250 commemorations in Marlborough. The “dual heritage” flotilla of vessels will be the centerpiece of the Tuia 250 commemoration, to celebrate the long voyaging traditions of Aotearoa New Zealand. The flotilla is expected to arrive in Tōtaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound on Thursday, November 21, and arrive into Picton/Waitohi to a warm community welcome on Friday November 22. CEO Rhys Welbourn today announced that the Port Marlborough Sounds Discovery Fund, which last year sent 13 school classes out sailing in the Marlborough Sounds, would this year sponsor the Tuia 250 Schools’ Day on the Waitohi/Picton Foreshore. The schools day for Tuia 250 provides opportunities for classes to go on board the vessels, to visit the National Science Technology Roadshow about Pacific and European voyaging, see the pop-up planetarium focusing on celestial navigation, as well as partake in the Wānanga and educational programmes about sustainable oceans. Welbourn said, “This year the Port Marlborough Sounds Discovery Fund will sponsor our local Tuia 250 schools day. Giving local classes the opportunity to learn about Pacific and European voyaging traditions and navigation, and ocean sustainability, was a natural fit for the fund. Work is ongoing at the moment by Port Staff in preparation for the visiting vessels, and we are very much looking forward to supporting the events” Port and marinas staff are working closely with the logistics team at the Ministry of Culture and Heritage to accommodate the flotilla vessels. Port engineers are investigating the right locations and fit for the visiting vessels. Ships like the traditional sailing vessel HMB Endeavour Replica are not usual visitors amongst the smaller pleasure craft at Picton Marina. With an overall length of 44m (144 feet), she will be visible on the waterfront over the festivities, and be a major attraction for visitors to the event. “The Tōtaranui 250 trust appreciates the support of Port Marlborough and the pivotal role it plays in our navigating community” says Raymond Smith, Co-Chair of the Tōtaranui 250 Trust, which is responsible for delivering events around the commemorations. The flotilla will also feature waka hourua (double-hulled canoes) – the Haunui from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, the Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti from Tauranga – and the Fa’afaite i te Ao Mā’ohi, a va’a moana from Pape’ete, Tahiti. All ships are expected to be open for public viewing over the weekend. In addition, there will be four waka from Te Tau Ihu / Top of the South Island. The traditional sailing ships joining the flotilla are the HMB Endeavour replica from the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney and the Spirit of New Zealand from Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland. The vessels will be berthed in Picton Marina and the surrounding area and will be open to the public over the weekend amidst the celebration on the waterfront over the weekend of the 22-25th November, for which details are viewable here: https://www.totaranui250.co.nz/events
