Promise of spring

A daffodil blooms near the South African War memorial at the Oval, in Dunedin, yesterday. The flower’s early showing and promise of spring coincides with the first day of the Maori midwinter festival, Matariki. Te Ara refers to Matariki as both the Maori New Year and New Zealand’s Thanksgiving. This year’s Puaka Matariki Festival has moved online as a temporary measure in response to Covid19. The online festival started yesterday and finishes next Monday.