New Zealand celebrates Pacific voyaging heritage

Britain delivered a "statement of regret" to indigenous Maori this week for the killing of nine of their number immediately after Cook's landing, although it did not offer a formal apology.

Ardern was joined by dignitaries in Gisborne, in the country's east, where a flotilla comprising traditional Pacific double-hulled "waka" vessels received a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony.

She said New Zealand should continue to learn and tell the full story of the country's past.