High winds in Wellington forced a plane carrying 20 toi moko, or Maori ancestral heads, to turn back to Auckland on Thursday afternoon.
About 150 people were waiting at the national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, to welcome the toi moko.
The repatriation ceremony will now begin at 7.30am on Friday.
Wellington fire crews were called out to secure roofing iron loosened by winds MetService says were gusting to 113 kilometres an hour.
