Rangitane's Matariki Quiz Night educational and fun

This question required teams to memorise and reproduce the Matariki constellation after it had been shown. Hence hands on heads when that happened.

Enjoying yourself, learning lots, sharing delicious kai, competing for prizes, and laughing lots – the ingredients of a great social occasion – all came together when eight teams participated in Rangitāne's Matariki Quiz at the Mangatera Hotel.

A set of 59 questions, all pertaining to Matariki and prepared by the iwi, had the 60-strong crowd on July 20 racking their brains and raising the team's true/false or multi-choice answer by card after a minute's consultation.

The Matariki Stars winners - Nga Uri o Tapo (The Pirates of Tamaki Nui A Rua).

MC Wharemako Paewai kept the flow of questions steady with a break for kai at half-time, providing the answer and supporting information after each question was tackled. That way a full conversation enlightened those who had the answer wrong.

It was most enlightening – did you know some west coast iwi do not accept Matariki because ranges block their rise in the east from being seen and Rangitāne only recognises seven of the nine stars?

The evening was partly sponsored by Tararua REAP which entered a team called The Grim Reapers and they did well. Some members had even done some research.

Teams were invited to dress up with the winning team in the quiz and the dress-up, Nga Uri O Tapo, being spectacular in their pirate outfits complete with cutlasses in case they did not agree with the answer (just kidding).

Entertainment by vocalist Hanna-Mae Pilkington backed by Josh Fitzgerald added to the atmosphere at half-time which by then was already relaxed and happy. Scores announced whetted the appetite for the second half which ended with every team earning a prize.

Kaumatua Manahi Paewai speaks of Rangitāne's view of Matariki:

"For eastern Rangitāne of the North Island who dwelt in the great bush cover known as Te Tapere Nui o Whatonga (Seventy Mile Bush), whose spread ran from the southern reaches of the Takapau plains in the north to the Opaki clearing just north of current-day Masterton in the south, the Matariki star cluster would become visible in the north-eastern skies each year generally in the month of June, but some years in July.

"Those who had passed on during the preceding year period were lamented, following which it was a time to endure the winter months, to keep warm, ponder on the achievements of the previous year, plan for the next and generally rejoice among themselves for life itself as 'Matariki hunga nui' (gathering of people) implies."