The Matariki cluster could be seen during the beautiful morning ceremony in Katikati.
The Matariki cluster could be seen during the beautiful morning ceremony in Katikati.
The three-day weekend to celebrate Matariki, together with a perfect winter’s morning, brought about 300 people to the “magical” service at Park Road Reserve.
The crowd came to acknowledge Matariki as the beginning of the new year according to the Māori lunar calendar.
Te Rereatukāhia Marae chairman Hone Winder-Murray said, “The stars and lunar phases of the calendar (maramataka) have always played a crucial role in traditional Māori life. Their placement in the night sky determines our seasons — and the season of Matariki is a beautiful treasure (taonga) that created a warm sense of connectedness for our community.”
People were at the reserve about 5am.
“Matariki was a little shy at coming out at first,” Katch Katikati promotions manager Jacqui Knight said.
Ngairo Eruera started the official ceremony with a formal welcome, karakia, then the viewing followed by feeding of the stars and remembering loved ones.
Three pōhutukawa were planted once the sun rose.
Hot drinks and bacon and egg muffins were served up to guests.
“It was a truly perfect morning. The clear, crisp sky with a beautiful sunrise, the kōrero shared and the kai provided is going to make the next event hard to beat,” Jacqui says.
Dawn starts to rise at Park Road Reserve on Matariki.
Katikati Community Centre operations manager Donna Hannah said the community collaboration event had an amazing turnout.
“It was wonderful to see an inclusive and diverse event held in a beautiful, under-utilised local green space, where strangers met in the dark and became a community at dawn.”
“Matariki has a deep, extensive cultural and spiritual significance for our people,” Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua operations manager Valarie Uilou said. “This is a time to reflect on the past year, honour whānau that have passed within the year, and set intentions for the year ahead.”
Project Parore’s Brodie Davis said they were thankful to be involved in the event to reflect on the past, give thanks for today and consider plans for the future.
Stars represent the cluster.
Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic said the more we learned about Matariki, “the deeper meaning we experience. This is reflected in our community engagement as the event grows”.
Katch Katikati event manager Kylie Watkins thanks the organising group and local sponsors who helped make the ceremony a success, including Katikati Scaffolding for providing the stage, Red Cross Katikati for the Coffee Cart, New Zealand Windows Tauranga for the use of their trailer barbecue, Rotary Club of Katikati for handling transportation, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council community event funding.
