Waitangi Day is a significant day in the history of New Zealand. It commemorates the day of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi 177 years ago, which is considered to be their founding document.
Thousands of New Zealanders dressed up in outlandish kiwi-themed costumes took to the capital’s streets on Saturday for the Waitangi Day Circle Line Pub Crawl.
However, when the Circle Line isn’t running like this time hordes of New Zealanders walk the route.
They begin at 10am in the pride of Paddington, making their way up through Kensington and Victoria.
Finally ending up in Westminster at 4pm, for the peak of the celebration, a drunken performance of the Maori warrior cry dance, the Haka.
One participant says it’s a day to “celebrate Kiwi culture and where New Zealanders come together in London”.
In comparison to New Zealand he continues: “It is a celebration here and a time to have fun, but in New Zealand it is more of a sombre occasion.”
What is the significance of Waitangi day in the UK: Robyn Allardice-Bourne, the president of the UK New Zealand Society says:
“It’s when New Zealand became part of the British Empire and the first Waitangi service was actually held in England not in New Zealand at St Lawrence Jewry.”