KWA Whānau Day 2023

KWA celebrated their Whānau Day in the same week as World Ocean Day 8th June, and incorporated this into their kaupapa for the day by having a beach clean-up before kicking off with the day's events.
TK wrote the following as he was in charge of blessing our clubs 2 new OC2 wakas:
The Waka whakaingoa (naming ceremony)
"The moana was the life force for early Maori and still to this day, for all New Zealanders. Our reliance on kai moana (sea food) plays a huge part in whanau hui (family gatherings) but so does sustainability making sure our Taonga o Tangaroa (treasures of Tangaroa the God of the Sea) will be around for future generations. We would like to show awareness and recognise the importance of native fish species of Aotearoa by naming our OC2’s after two ika (fish) found in the moana around Aotearoa:
Kahawai
Translated means strong water and if you ever hooked one you will find out why. They put up a heck of a fight and swim swiftly through the water. Normally found around the warmer waters of Te Ika a Maui (Nth Island)
Tarakihi
Unlike the Kahawai, Tarakihi prefer the deeper cooler sea conditions and found mostly around Te Waipounamu (Sth Island) Net fishing has reduced stocks so quota systems are now in place to restore the numbers."