"Red Checkers" to Feature in Waitangi Festival 2012

Posted 23 November 2011

Red Checkers aerial display

Red Checkers Aerial Display

Latest: The Red Checkers have been grounded until further notice.

The internationally acclaimed Royal New Zealand Air Force aerobatic and precision flying team, the "Red Checkers", has accepted an invitation to participate in the traditional Waitangi Day festival and commemorations at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in February.

It will be the first time the Royal New Zealand Navy and the RNZAF have coordinated forces in support of the festival programme at Waitangi and the first time the aerobatics team has put on a public display in the Bay of Islands.

Meanwhile, the RNZN has also confirmed its full participation in the 2012 commemorations. The multi-role support vessel HMNZS Canterbury will anchor off the Treaty Grounds for the commemorations, while the offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Otago and the navy dive tender HMNZS Manawanui will berth at Opua.

The Royal New Zealand Navy Band will provide public concerts at Paihia, Russell and Kerikeri in the lead-up to Waitangi Day and will be performing on the Treaty Grounds on the day. The navy will also be providing its traditional support for the dawn ceremony, the Beat the Retreat 21-gun salute, and will be represented by navy chief Rear Admiral Anthony Parr at the inter-denominational church service.

Waitangi National Trust Chief Executive Jeanette Richardson said today that the extended defence force participation was in keeping with the policy adopted in recent years to increase the level of entertainment to encourage public participation and to create a family-oriented environment.

“Whilst the underlying theme for Waitangi Day will always remain as a commemoration to mark the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the coming together of two peoples, it is important that we also continue to create an atmosphere in which people can enjoy themselves and will want to participate."

This year the festival will especially feature events and activities celebrating our natural environment and the biodiversity of the Treaty Grounds and the wider Bledisloe Estate. This is in addition to the traditional theme of providing family fun and togetherness and encouraging as wide a range of peaceful activities as possible,” she said.

There will be a rolling programme of events and activities throughout the day, together with all the traditional events, including waka displays, the dawn ceremony, naval salute, the Beat the Retreat ceremony and an inter-denominational church service.

Arrangements are being made to establish a special “bug trail” in keeping with the 2012 theme. Details will be released when the programme has been confirmed.
The open-air evening concert, which this year attracted over 1000 visitors, will be repeated and negotiations are currently in hand to bring two major headliners to Waitangi for the February 2012 event.
"Last year close to 100 stalls were established for the three days of the festival and early indications are that the numbers could increase even further this year,” she said.
Print media caption (attached pic):
The “Red Checkers” in formation over Auckland during Auckland Anniversary celebrations earlier this year.

 

 

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