On the Hibiscus Coast, Auckland Anniversary Day can feel like a simple long weekend.

Its roots go back to a much bigger turning point.

Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson arrived in the Bay of Islands on Thursday, January 29, 1840, sent to establish British sovereignty and set up a new government in New Zealand.

A week later came another defining date.

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed shortly after on Thursday, February 6, 1840.

The odd part is the name.

Auckland’s “anniversary” is tied to a moment that happened in the Bay of Islands, and the capital had not yet been established when Hobson arrived.

The seat of government did not move from the Bay of Islands to Auckland until 1841.

Over time, the holiday gathered its own local traditions.

The Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta became one of the best-known, with the first one held on Saturday, January 29, 1842, two years after Hobson’s arrival.

It’s also not just an Auckland day.

The modern public holiday is observed across Northland, where it’s known as Northland Day, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne, as well as parts of Manawatū-Whanganui and Hawke’s Bay.

Each year, the holiday falls on the Monday closest to 29 January.

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