Kiwis celebrate Waitangi Day in a spectacular fashion
The Auckland Harbour Bridge will also be lit up with a solar-powered light show and display on Sunday night
New Zealanders will be celebrating with a public holiday, traditional Maori demonstrations and live dancing
6 celebrates the signing of the treaty of Waitangi by the Maori and the British
New Zealanders have kicked off celebrations for Waitangi Day with a dawn service at 5am in Te Whare Runanga - the carved meeting house - followed by all-day entertainment and traditional Maori demonstrations at three different parts of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
The national holiday celebrates the signing of the treaty of Waitangi by Maori chiefs and the British Crown on the 178th anniversary of the historic document that granted the Maori people the rights of British Citizens and ownership of their lands and other properties.
Since the weather is usually warm and summer during the February 6 celebrating, New Zealanders usually enjoy picnicking, displays of waka (canoe) racing and spectacular views over the Waitangi Treaty Grounds which stretch down to the stunning waters of the Bay of Islands.
A traditional Powhiri is given to New Zealand Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy at Te Whare Runanga on Sunday morning
The Waitangi Day national holiday celebrates the signing of the Waitangi treaty in 1840 by Maori chiefs and the British crown
New Zealand Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy holds hands with Titewhai Harawira as she is given the traditional Powhiri
The treaty of Waitangi granted the Maori people the rights of British Citizens and ownership of their lands and other property
Those descending from different parts of New Zealand participate in Waitangi Day celebrations differently, Campbelltown Waitangi Festival director Darin Crofts explained to SBS.
'Depending on where you come from changes your understanding and how you partake,' he said. 'For us, it's about acknowledging culture and our people...It's all about trying to give people a snapshot of who we are and bring other cultures into our space so that they can have a better understanding of who we are.'
Mr Crofts added that since other Indigenous cultures aren't fortunate enough to have a treaty, it's a 'nice acknowledgment' from the British people.'
Many people see the day as a day of celebration marking an important day in history; the founding day of today's New Zealand
The Treaty House itself, set in the stunning Waitangi Treaty Grounds, is the most visited historical building in the country
There has been come over differences (intentional or not) between the English version and the Maori version of the Treaty
New Zealand commemorates the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 at its namesake, near Paihia in the Bay of Islands
People and families descending from different parts of New Zealand participate in Waitangi Day celebrations differently
This year, Waitangi Day on February 6 falls on a Tuesday, so many New Zealanders are expected to take Monday off as a de facto holiday for a longer weekend.
'It is a holiday weekend in summer so we would expect it to be busy,'Bay of Plenty Accommodation sector group chairman Tony Bullot told the New Zealand Herald.
'It should be quite busy with the Under 19 cricket world cup which will make a difference,' he said.
In previous years, there have been live performances, a hip hop act, live music and a 21 Gun Salute from the Royal NZ Army
Waitangi Day is New Zealand's national day and has been a public holiday or long weekend for the whole country since 1973
The first time the day was commemorated was in 1934, when the grounds at Waitangi were given to the New Zealand people
The Governor-General in 1934, Lord Bledisloe, hoped that the grounds at Waitangi would become a national memorial site
Additionally, Auckland's newest attraction - the Auckland Harbour Bridge - will be on display during the weekend as the fully-powered solar lights are switched on the for the second time ever.
The light and sound show will tell the story of Hauturu-o-Toi (Little Barrier Island) and begins tonight at 9pm. It will be repeated every hour until midnight each night until Waitangi Day on Tuesday.
A second light show has been created using the Vector Lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge, and aims to 'create a uniquely indigenous experience to depict an ancient cultural story'.
Vector chief executive Simon Mackenzie said the lights were a great way to give Aucklanders a focal point for celebration.
Waitangi Day this year falls on a Tuesday, so many New Zealanders are expected to take Monday off as a de facto holiday
The Treaty of Waitangi had started a unique relationship between the Indigenous and the colonising peoples back in 1840
Auckland Bridge will be on display on the weekend as the fully-powered solar lights are switched on the for the second time
'Waitangi Day, the Treaty of Waitangi and our mana whenua iwi all have strong connections to the principle of kaitiaki – protection or guardianship of our natural environment. So the underlying purpose and message Vector Lights will tell this week is built upon this,' Ngāti Manuhiri and Ngāti Rehua chairwoman Nicola MacDonald said.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff added it was great such a significant day in the country's history could be commemorated by lighting up one of the city's most distinctive landmarks.
More than 90,000 LED lights and 200 floodlights have been installed on the new bridge, which are powered by 630 panels installed on top of North Wharf in Wynyard Quarter.
Prior to 1934, celebrations of New Zealand's founding as a colony were held on 29 January, the date on which William Hobson arrived in the Bay of Islands to issue the proclamation, which had been prepared earlier by colonial office officials in England