Anand Satyanand

The Governor-General, Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, will visit Northland and Canterbury to mark the 170th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Sir Anand and Lady Susan Satyanand will be welcomed on to Te Tii Marae on Thursday 4 February. Later, after inspecting HMNZS Taupō at Opua, in the evening, they will attend a reception on HMNZS Canterbury.

On Friday 5 February Sir Anand and Lady Susan will host the Bledisloe Reception in the grounds of the Copthorne Resort at Waitangi. The reception, to be attended by the Diplomatic Corps and representatives from central and local government, Māoridom, churches and community groups recognises the gift of the Treaty grounds by Governor-General, Lord Charles and Lady Elaine Bledisloe, in 1932. Media wishing to attend should contact Antony Paltridge, Government House Public Affairs Manager before 5pm on 5 February on 021 470 583 to gain admittance.

On Saturday 6 February, Sir Anand and Lady Susan will be welcomed on to Ōnuku Marae at Akaroa. The marae is the place where on 30 May 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in the South Island and also the place where in 1998 the Crown gave its apology for breaches of the Treaty in its dealings with Ngāi Tahu.

This will be the first time Sir Anand has given his Waitangi Day address in a location other than Government House Auckland or Wellington and is in response to a long-standing invitation from Ngāi Tahu to attend its Waitangi Day celebrations. The Governor-General's attendance at Ōnuku Marae recognises that the Treaty was signed at many different times and places in the months following 6 February 1840.