Ngā Manu Kōrero brings national speech competition to Kaikohe

Kaikohe will welcome around 60 rangatahi from secondary schools across New Zealand, along with hundreds of supporters for the four-day 2026 National Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competition.

The annual bilingual speech competition runs from Monday 21 September to Thursday 24 September and is being held this year at the Papa Hawaiki sports hub at Lindvart Park. Ngāpuhi will welcome participating schools, competitors and whānau to the event.

Traffic management will be in place around the venue throughout the competition. Traffic management will be in place on Raihara Street and Recreation Road from 9am – 5pm during the event, slowing traffic down to 30km and stopping traffic when there are pedestrians needing to cross.

People travelling through the area are asked to allow extra time and follow the directions of traffic management staff.

Set-up will begin from 7am on Monday at the Recreation Road public carpark near the public toilets. The carpark will be fully closed and used as the gathering point for two pōwhiri, the first at 10am for the rohe and the second at 2pm for the motu. The pōwhiri activities are expected to finish at about 5pm.

Parking arrangements will also be in place throughout the event. The Papa Hawaiki carpark will be reserved for official passes, kuia, kaumātua and those with disability permits.

General parking will be available in surrounding streets and field areas, with access to the field via the Penney Crescent gate. School buses will park at Northland College, while school vans and other school vehicles will use the netball courts, also accessed via Penney Crescent.

Pedestrian marshals will help manage movement between vehicles, car parks and the pōwhiri gathering point.

More information about the 2026 National Ngā Manu Kōrero competition is available on the PPTA website.