KEY POINTS:
The traditional Maori New Year begins today. Celebrations will mark Matariki, the celebration that has gained greater prominence in the past 10 years.
It is based on the rising in May of Matariki, the Maori name for the Pleiades star cluster also known as The Seven Sisters.
Most tribes begin celebrations on the first new moon after Matariki rises. Last year it was June 27.
