Did you have a good Waitangi Day? Did you spend it on the beach, in the garden, on the farm, perhaps? Or maybe you didn't leave the couch.

I guess that’s just it, isn’t it? It’s our national day and you can chose to spend it however you wish.

I chose not to give the goings on at Te Tii Marae too much attention this year. There was a media ban in place. I know they threatened to arrest Winston Peters. And so it went on. I saw a few headlines but didn't give them a lot of attention. It's not what I want to see, or perhaps I no longer chose to see it on Waitangi Day.

Bill English's decision not to attend was inspired. Instead, he went to the marae of Ngati Whatua o Orakei where he could speak, and by all accounts he spoke well. His knowledge of the Treaty, and his involvement in settlements and the reconciliation process is extensive. And his speech was one of optimism and was well-received.

And that brings me to ACT’s suggestion that we should bypass Te Tii Marae in the Far North and move the celebrations every year. In essence, you take Waitangi Day on an annual road trip. It’s a day for all New Zealanders, David Seymour argues. Not just one marae. Or one tribe. Or one family who historically, has used Waitangi Day to air its grievances.

I know as a child growing up in rural Canterbury in the seventies, I didn’t really understand Waitangi. It was just another day off. But imagine if Waitangi celebrations had come to Christchurch one year? And the Council had rallied communities and schools to get involved, and Ngai Tahu had played a lead role. It would have been an event to remember. Informative. Educating. A celebration. In essence, it would achieve what the Prime Minister achieved this year by by-passing Waitangi.

It would mean that it's no longer our National Day of Shame with images broadcast around the world of our Prime Minister being hustled at Te Tii Marae, and instead it would become what it should be; a National Day of Celebration.

That said, Waitangi Day is a magical day in the Far North. It really is. I loved it. It’s just that all you see in the media is the scuffle and the scandal that unfolds, and the Prime Minister walking onto the marae surrounded by a beefed up Diplomatic Protection Squad. So take the politicians out of it, and the media out of it and let Waitangi be the fabulous day it is.

You can't stop people who are hell-bent on being disruptive and divisive, but what you can do is change the way you react to them - and that's why I think Waitangi Day celebrations should become something of a celebratory travelling road show.