The countdown is on for the regional event that could kick-start some of our paddlers’ haerenga to the 2026 World Sprint Champs in Singapore To bring this to life we need you!!
We need your passion, your energy and your talents to help us make the 2025 Regionals a resounding success
We are seeking enthusiastic kaitūao/volunteers to help us with various aspects of this regional event No previous experience is required, just your desire to be part of an event for those who are striving to be the best they can be.
We are pleased to announce entries are now open for the 2025 Hoe Tonga Pacifica Regional Sprint Champs in December. This event will be held at Henley Lake in Masterton, with W6 races taking place on Saturday 6th and W1 races on Sunday 7th.
Club coordinators can process entries online in the Members Area of the Waka Ama NZ website. All kaihoe must be affiliated to their club and Waka Ama NZ for the 2026 season in order to enter. All entries close on Friday 28 November at 11.59pm.
Friendly reminder that the 2026 National Sprints are the qualifiers for the 2026 World Sprints in Singapore, and the opportunity to enter team intentions closes on 21 November. More information can be found on the Waka Ama NZ website, linked here 2026 World Sprint Champs.
If you have any pātai, send them through to hoetonga@gmail.com
The final race of the Hoe Tonga winter paddler series scheduled for this Saturday 18th October has been postponed.
Tai Tonga 41 Waka Ama Outrigger Canoe Club are committed to making sure that our paddlers all have a safe and enjoyable time and as such due to incoming bad weather, we have reached our decision to postpone.
The new date for this event will be Saturday 8th of November.
Please email taitonga41@gmail.com to edit or withdraw your registration for this event, as all refunds of payments will be honoured.
Mana Pasifika Outrigger Canoe Club would like to thank all clubs with teams participating in the Twin Harbours race on Saturday 23 August 2025 at Ngāti Toa Domain.
We would also like to thank the support crews in safety boats on the water, those preparing kai in the kitchen, taking times on the sideline, doing safety checks and generally helping out. We had a successful race day because of the paddlers and support people involved, even the coastguard came out to support the morning racing.
We were blessed with a fabulous day for this race, 4 knot easterly winds and an incoming high tide. Both the short and long races started at 0900 with the last 17km crew crossing the line in a modest time of 1:34:58:03.
Big thanks to Thomas for opening and closing our regatta, remembering our waka mates who have passed on, specifically Steve Kenny who was a big part of the Ngati Toa waka scene and always advocating for hauora.
Nō mātou o Hoe Tonga – Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou o Mana Pasifika Outrigger Canoe Club for hosting the Twin Harbours Race i tēnei ata!
Due to the low number of entries in the short race, both the 9km and 17km races will begin at the same time. The updated event programme is as follows:
08:00am – all teams have their waka at Ngāti Toa Domain to complete safety checks
08:30am – race safety briefing is delivered for both races
09:00am – both races start
If you need to contact someone about these changes, please email katmasoe@gmail.com
The voting process is now open for the Waka Ama NZ elected board member. Each club has been emailed a voting form to submit their vote. Clubs have until Thursday, 11 September, to submit their vote form.
For full information on the voting process and the details of the nominees, visit the Waka Ama NZ website: https://wakaama.co.nz/stories/read/1006683 For further information or any questions, email admin@wakaama.co.nz
Hoe Tonga will be holding the 2025 Annual General Meeting next week via Zoom on Wednesday 20th August, 2025.
We require one nominated representative to attend from each of our Hoe Tonga Clubs to ensure we have a quorum. Additional club members are welcome to join by registering their interest via email to hoetonga@gmail.comfor the link.
All relevant documentation is linked below for your review.
1067 kaihoe from 59 clubs across Aotearoa registered to take part in this national qualifying event, with 3 days of racing long distances of 8km, 16 km, and 24km to secure a place to compete at the IVF Va’a World Distance Championships 2025 held in Brazil in August! 🇧🇷
Luckily the atua heard our karakia and blessed us with three days of beautiful weather and prime paddling conditions for the event! ☀️
Now our manuhiri understand the classic saying “you can’t beat Welly on a good day” (don’t worry, we saved the wildest windiest Wellington weather for the days that followed the LDNs ⛈ you’re welcome).
Massive congratulations to those that placed and huge thanks to everyone who came along and got involved with the event! 🌟
E kīia nei te kōrero, he aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
Nā reira me mihi ka tika ki a koutou katoa kua haere ki tō mātou nei rohe o Te Whanganui ā Tara mō tēnei kaupapa motuhake mō te waka ama.
Ngā mihi whakawhetai hoki ki ngā kaitūao mō tō mahi me tō āwhina ki a mātou o Hoe Tonga ki te whakahaere i tēnei whakataetae, ngā pākihi kua tautokotia i a mātou me te whānau o Waka Ama NZ. Tēnā koutou katoa 💛
Finally, we’d like to acknowledge our Hoe Tonga board and whānau. Tēnā rawa atu to our Race Director James Sadler and event leads Anita Taggart, Ani Suitauloa, Chris Fox, Jasmine Kaa, Marinna Millanta-Lowrey, Matai Te Kere, Ria Millan, Selena Katene and Thomas Tawhiri who all provided great leadership not only during the buildup to LDN’s but also over the 3 days💛
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua.
It’s been 12 years since Hoe Tonga has hosted this event, so we’d love to get your whakaaro on the 2025 Long Distance Nationals! If you haven’t already, please share your opinion here 🔗 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/588ZVVF
Hei whakakapi, ko te tūmanako he mīharo rawa te wheako me te whakataetae hoki, ā, he haumaru te hokingā atu ki te kāinga. We hope everyone had an awesome experience at this years’ competition and had a safe return home.
Nā mātou o Hoe Tonga Pacifica Waka Ama Association me ngā karapu o tēnei rohe, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
To bring this to life we need you!!
No previous experience is required, just your desire to be part of an event for those who are striving to be the best they can be.
https://forms.gle/JSisq7KMjjarH7dC8 by Monday 24th November.
Saturday 18 October 2025
Evans Bay, Wellington
16 km long course
W1, W2, W4, W6 Men, Women, Mixed teams
Mana Pasifika Outrigger Canoe Club would like to thank all clubs with teams participating in the Twin Harbours race on Saturday 23 August 2025 at Ngāti Toa Domain.
23 AUGUST RACE UPDATE
Hoe Tonga Pacifica Waka Ama Association 