Matariki 2023: How Taupō will be celebrating

Te Ātea Lakefront will host its first Matariki celebration, on July 15. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Families throughout Aotearoa New Zealand will be gathering to celebrate Matariki in its second year as a public holiday.

The holiday marks the first rising of the Matariki star cluster, also known as Pleiades, which brings the new year in the lunar calendar.

Each star in the cluster has important symbolism in Māoritanga, from natural elements to wellbeing and remembrance.

The Friday date shifts to align with Maramataka — the Māori lunar calendar — meaning it will vary between June and July each year.

The phases of the moon are the focus of Taupō Museum’s newest exhibition, Ngā Mata o Te Marama, which also examines how lunar knowledge was historically used by Tūwharetoa.

The exhibition is on now, until August 13.

There are many other family-friendly activities on and around the July 14 public holiday, with many contributing to Matariki’s official theme for 2023 of “a time of reflection, celebration and preparation”.

Friends of the Tūrangi Library are encouraging the whole family to get snapping with a Matariki photography contest.

The theme is “Capture what Matariki means to you”, with photos going on display at Tūrangi Library.

The top prize in the children’s (up to 15 years), adults (16-plus) and people’s choice awards are $100 each.

Entries of up to 5MB photos should be submitted to keucke@xtra.co.nz by July 17, with a title, phone number, and name and age of the entrant.

In Taupō, there are free Matariki craft sessions as part of the Winter Festival, running at Taupō Library on July 11 at 10.30am and July 12 at 10.30am and 1 pm.

There will also be a Matariki celebration at 10am on July 15 at the newly redeveloped area at Te Ātea Lakefront in Taupō, with storytelling, waiata and kapa haka performances.

On July 26, Greening Taupō will hold its Matariki planting day with Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board on Rickit Street, next to the Taupō Community Playgroup.

The morning kicks off at 9.30, with families advised to bring wet-weather gear.

A little further afield, Sanctuary Mountain Maungtautari near Cambridge is holding a free Locals’ Day.

The predator-proof fenced sanctuary is offering booking-only free tickets to families who bring valid ID and proof of a Waikato address — go to sanctuarymountain.co.nz for details.