Waitangi Day in the Queenstown sun

The Queenstown Gardens came to life yesterday afternoon with hundreds of people lounging on the grass in the sun during the resort's first official Waitangi Day celebrations.

During previous years on February 6 - also Bob Marley's birthday - the Homelands and Reggae in the Park concerts had been held, but a $2000 grant from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage allowed the Queenstown Lakes District Council to run the inaugural event.

Queenstown bands played from the gardens rotunda and a kapa haka performance, flax-weaving and a hangi rounded out the celebrations.

QLDC arts and events facilitator Jan Maxwell said everyone she had spoken to wanted it to return next year and would "definitely like to see something similar happening in Wanaka".