Hawke’s Bay to become the Matariki ‘hotspot’ this week

Ngāti Kahungunu and event organisers are planning an array of sights that will visually delight Hawke’s Bay for the ongoing Matariki celebrations this week.

Te Rangi Huata, Ngāti Kahungunu’s events manager, said a major focus for the iwi will be a series of events on Thursday 13, starting with the pre-dawn ceremony Whangai I Te Hautapu Hau Ahi.

“This will be open to the public on the Napier beach right next door to the National Aquarium of New Zealand,” Huata said.

He said there will be a 10-metre-long driftwood sculpture of Māui’s fishhook, representing the Māori name of Hawke’s Bay Te Matau-a-Māui, nine stars inside to represent the iwi’s ancestor Kahungunu and his eight wives and flags to represent Ngāti Kahungunu and the iwi they have relationships with.

In the evening there will be storytelling and people are invited to write messages of remembrance or gratitude on lanterns for a procession to place into the Manga Pacific – Te Toka Tu Moana fountain on the northern side of the aquarium.

“We did the same ceremony in Flaxmere last Thursday and hundreds came out for that, so this is Napier’s turn,” he said.

Chris Stokes making a fish hook made of driftwood that will be set alight in Napier on Saturday night in front of the National Aquarium of New Zealand for Matariki. Photo / Warren Buckland

Fires will be lit across Hawke’s Bay beaches from Cape Kidnappers to Tāngoio on Saturday to celebrate Matariki in an event called Matariki Mahuika.

“We will have a ring of fire around the bay so, in many ways, Hawke’s Bay will be the hotspot for Matariki on Saturday night,” Huata said.

He said the public holiday has been official for two years, but Ngāti Kahungunu has been organising Matariki events for 23 years.

“It has finally caught up with us in Hawke’s Bay so what we are doing is not new, but it is good they made it official.”

Sofia Handley made a sculpture of a moose from driftwood along the Bayview beachfront. Photo / Sam Handley

He said they hoped to see the community participate even further along the Hawke’s Bay coast and have fires encompass Wairoa, Mahia, Waimārama, Pourerere and Pōrangahau beaches on Saturday.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz