Politicians of all stripes have descended upon Rātana for the unofficial start of the political year.
Jacinda Ardern has delivered her final speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday afternoon, following remarks from incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
National leader Christopher Luxon was also at Rātana for the first time. He was welcomed alongside Te Pāti Māori on Tuesday morning.
Rātana is a small pā south of Whanganui and home to Rātana church. The movement, started by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana about a century ago, became closely aligned with the Labour Party in the 1930s after several Rātana members were elected to Parliament in Māori electorates and supported then-Labour leader Michael Joseph Savage.
Celebrations are held for a week each January to mark the birthday of Rātana on January 25.
Here are some pictures from Tuesday's event:
Delivering the final speech of her premiership, Ardern acknowledges the importance of being at Rātana with mana whenua.
"I say if you're going to leave, leave with a brass band. And if you're going to leave with a brass band, leave with a brass band from Rātana," she says, referencing a brass band she walked in with.
Ardern calls her Labour colleagues a "group of exceptional people".
"I leave knowing you are in the best of hands."
She says that while people knew her as "aunty", she hopes people know Hipkins as "Chippy".
Ardern says her "overwhelming experience in this job of New Zealand and New Zealanders has been one of love, empathy and kindness".
"That has been what the majority of New Zealand has shown to me".
She ends her speech by thanking Kiwis for "the greatest privilege of my life".
Chris Hipkins says he has been coming to Rātana for nearly twenty years, having first visited in 2004 under Prime Minister Helen Clark. He says he has come previously not to speak, but to listen and be part of the celebrations.
He discusses how Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, the founder of the Rātana movement, gave Labour leader Michael Joseph Savage a number of items to symbolise the relationship between the two.
Hipkins says Ardern has implored non-Maori New Zealanders to "walk across the bridge" and stand in the shoes of tangata whenua. That will continue under his Government, Hipkins says.
He acknowledges members of the Labour caucus who are connected to the Rātana movement, including Speaker Adrian Rurawhe.
Hipkins says in an environment of misunderstanding and uncertainty, it is easy for fear to be cultivated. Politicians can either exploit that or attempt to eliminate that.
Maori or non-Maori, we are all in this together, Hipkins says. He says Labour will seek to bring New Zealanders together.
Deputy Labour leader Kelvin Davis is calling on men to stand up for women facing abuse. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's resignation has prompted a discussion about the gendered vitriol levelled at women.
"It is time for us to stand up and to defend them and to protect them."
Outgoing PM Jacinda Ardern says she'd hate for anyone to see her departure as a "negative commentary on New Zealand". She says she has received empathy and kindness from Kiwis during her time in the role.
She says the most important advice she has given Hipkins is: "You do you".
Ardern says she will be giving some words of thanks in her speech, rather than discussing politics.
Asked if she will miss the cut and thrust of politics, "I am going to miss people, because that has been the joy of the job".
Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says the Rātana relationship is very important to the Labour Party. He travelled to the site with outgoing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the pair took the opportunity to reflect on the last five years.
"I think it is an amazing opportunity to farewell Jacinda," Hipkins says.
Ardern gave Hipkins some advice on their trip, but he wouldn't share what it was.
He says there are moments when it still doesn't feel real that he is becoming the Prime Minister.
Hipkins says National's position on co-governance changes between when they are in Government and when they are in Opposition. The former National Government engaged in co-governance, he says.
Co-governance arrangements that have been entered into take on many forms, he says. It's important to talk to New Zealanders about why the Government is engaging in these actions.
Race relations should never be used to divide New Zealanders and it has been in the past, Hipkins says.
Christopher Luxon begins his speech by speaking in te reo Māori. He reflects on the relationship between National and Māori, such as the efforts by Chris Finlayson in treaty settlements.
"We are a party that is ruthlessly focused on getting things done and securing outcomes because that is how we improve the daily lives of Kiwis across the country."
He says outcomes haven't improved under the current Government, such as in education and health. He says both Māori and non-Māori care about this.
Addressing co-governance, Luxon says it's been a "divisive and immature conversation over recent years". He believes the Government hasn't been upfront or transparent about its intentions and hasn't taken people with it.
Luxon says National opposes co-governance in the delivery of public services, such as in health and justice. National supports the targeting of people on the basis of needs, not ethnicity. He says that might be "difficult news", but it doesn't mean National doesn't want to involve Māori.
A speaker from the paepae has been very complimentary of Christopher Luxon for showing up at Rātana. He said, "you've shown up, face-to-face, to discuss and to really debate some of the things we are going into".
"We know in an election year... everyone goes crazy. But it can't be a lolly scramble Mr Luxon. What we are saying is we welcome you here to Rātana. We welcome you here to Te Ao Māori.
"We welcome you to not be afraid of co-governance. We welcome you to not be afraid of loosening the grip of power."
He says, "we will never agree on everything".
"The end goal we can agree on. The pathway there, will take some conversations. We welcome you to engage with those conversations with Te Ao Māori."
