Yesterday afternoon, at the beautiful Ōtākou marae, Dame Cindy was officially welcomed into the Otago region for the first time as Governor-General. Situation on the eastern side of the Otago Peninsula, Ōtākou was significantly one of the places where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by iwi chiefs in 1840. During her welcome, Dame Cindy heard about the important role that the marae plays in the wider community, and noted in her speech: 'I fully appreciate and support the vision of Kāi Tahu to foster economic, social, and cultural wellbeing – and to focus on education as a tool to unlock potential and grow the leaders of tomorrow.'
You can see more images from the welcome here, and read Dame Cindy's speech here.