Home and Away actor Rob Kipa-Williams spoke about the moving reaction he got from audiences to the emotional Parata family beach scene.

 On the scene, the family paid Mikaere their respects by doing a haka on the beach.



Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Kipa-Williams admitted that he was “super nervous” about the haka scene airing.

Explaining his tensions, Kipa-Williams said, “One, because it was never done on Home and Away before, and maybe even on Australian tv, let alone in the UK?

“I guess we were all nervous because we were watching our country, New Zealand, and we wanted to do justice to the storyline.

“It’s not just a haka on a rugby field, it’s a haka to wave farewell to somebody who’s passed on, and that’s a very personal part of our culture.”

“I was amazed at how the viewers received the haka,” he said. We had messages from hundreds and hundreds of people saying that they were brought to tears, making us feel proud and privileged to create work like that, representing our culture in a different light.

“It was so beautiful not just for me, but for all of us.”

“Kipa-Williams said when asked if the soap was set to air any more scenes that would help showcase Maori culture:”

A few things are coming up that don’t essentially show the culture, but it kind of enables the fans to see if we can help each other and how the spirit world can assist us in the real world.