The Mount Isa Basketball Stadium was packed on Saturday with an international flavour evident.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hundreds attended a day-long celebration of netball, basketball and volleyball between New Zealanders and Australians.
There were speeches from New Zealand elders, kids games for the little ones, as well as performances from several native groups.
A New Zealand side took on Australia in basketball with both sides wearing specially designed singlets for the day.
The day was in honour Waitangi Day, New Zealand's national day on February 6 the 180th anniversary of the New Zealand Treaty of Waitangi's signing.
Mount Isa Basketball vice president Kruzan Tautiepa said it was a day of celebration.
"We celebrate like we do at home, with a little bit of sport, a lot of food and some good fun," Mr Tautiepa, a Maori-Samoan said.
"These are exhibition games but these (netball) girls here who are going away for tournaments, it keeps them active."
Mr Tautiepa said the day was an opportunity to let the wider Mount Isa community know the local Maori and Islander community was still going strong.
"It's a good thing, it keeps the community engaged with each other," he said.
READ ALSO: Black Stars crush the Cavs
While you are here subscribe to our weekly email to your inbox at 6am every Friday
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
