US Vice President Joe Biden and his three granddaughters have been welcomed at Government House in Auckland by the Defence Force Maori cultural group.
Government House kaumatua Lewis Moeau talked Mr Biden through the protocols, including the wero, a fierce challenge by Lance Corporal Karl Manuel of the Army.
Mr Biden accepted the challenge by picking up a wooden spear-head that had been laid at his feet.
The guard of honour was provided by the Navy.
United States ambassador Mark Gilbert and his wife, Nancy, were also part of the visitor group.
NZ Prime Minister @JohnKeyPM welcomes @VP Joe Biden to New Zealand at a powhiri at Government House Auckland #VPinNZ pic.twitter.com/NDe7IuKbxL
— US Embassy NZ (@usembassynz) July 20, 2016
Prime Minister John Key accompanied Mr Biden and his group to the house for bilateral talks in which Mr Biden was expected to formally accept the invitation to send a US naval vessel to New Zealand this year, the first in 33 years.
At the start of the meeting, Mr Key said the relationship between the US and New Zealand was in the best shape it had ever been. He thanked Biden and the Obama administration for being "accommodating"to New Zealand's needs.
Mr Biden said New Zealand had been easy to deal with and shared the same values as the US.
He said he would have liked to have stayed longer, but had to return to America for the Democratic convention.
"Usually the outgoing Administration shows up on the first day and leaves and says goodbye," Mr Biden said.
The Vice President and his entourage fly out this afternoon. He joked that it was a good thing he was not staying long.
"The joke in my family is we're like poor relatives. We show up when we're invited, we stay longer than we should and we eat all the food."
Mr Biden has three of his four granddaughters with him: Naomi (21), Finnegan (18) and 12-year-old Natalie.
