Wairoa's Mātangirau performs at Te Matatini Day Two, at Eden Park. Photo: Supplied/ Te Matatini
The second day of Te Matatini brought another 15 groups, among them defending champions Ngā Tumanako and crowd favourites Angitū.
But one group that has had to go through more than anyone to get to Eden Park is Wairoa-based kapa Mātangirau.
Their home town was devastated, flooded only a week ago.
They came on stage with mud smeared on their legs, showing that Mātangirau were still determined to perform at Te Matatini.
The crowds at Te Matatini Day Two, in Eden Park, Tāmaki Makaurau Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Manukura Tānē, Edward Karauria, said when the cyclone hit and Wairoa was cut off, they were not sure they would make it.
"Firstly, we had no type of contact, no phone lines, no media, no anything.
"So we actually didn't know there was anything on, due to having no type of contact. Just living life and trying to help our families with the silt," he said.
Joylene Rohe-Karauria and Edward Karauria of Wairoa's Mātangirau Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Wairoa's Mātangirau performs for the crowds. Photo: Supplied/ Te Matatini
Karauria said it was a mission to get to Auckland.
The brakes failed on their first bus, the second was slow going, over the just reopened road to Ōpōtiki.
Eventually, Tauranga's Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Ranginui came to the rescue, providing vans for the final leg to Auckland.
Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Manukura Wahine, Joylene Rohe-Karauria, said they had to entertain themselves during long hours on the road.
"We came on a school bus from home to Whakatāne, we played I spy at one part of the trip because it was so slow, but safe, but slow."
In normal circumstances, whānau would have come to Auckland to cheer them on, but this time they had to watch from Wairoa.
About 100 people gathered at the Gaiety Theatre, in the centre of town, to cheer the group on.
Mātangirau Photo: Supplied/ Te Matatini
Lah Tipuna helped set it up, she said there was so much emotion in the room.
"So the nannies that did come, tears, [they] cried right through the whole thing. The whole crowd were just blown away," Tipuna said.
"[It's] something good for our town as well... something positive for our town."
Mātangirau Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Rohe-Karauria said members of the kapa had been doing what they could for their home town, even before outside help arrived.
"We've got maybe eight rangatahi from our wharekura at home, that was their first stand today. And two days before we came they were on the streets and cleaning silt out of the marae and on horses and trailers... and today they stood for the first time at Te Matatini."
She said the hardest part was leaving their whānau in still-damaged Wairoa.
She paid tribute to their support.
"We love you and you were our fuel for today, you gave us the strength," she said.
"We left on Monday morning and we had a big whakamoemiti, and it was hard. That was the hardest day, was leaving and knowing what we were leaving behind.
"And a little bit of... anxieties about whether we would get home, because there were still slips at Te Karaka and Waioeka... I mean anything could happen between now and us going home and us not being able to get home will just not be good."
Karauria said everything the kapa did was for Wairoa: "We love you Wairoa. For us, for Wairoa, forever."
Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
