15th birthday and Matariki
What a fabulous time of year it is! This July Good magazine is marking its 15th birthday, and as a nation we look forward to celebrating Matariki on July 14.
It is a time for reflection as well as for looking ahead.
Looking back, I remember when the first issue of Good hit the shelves and how heartened I was that there was finally a “New Zealand guide to sustainable living” and the country’s first carbon-neutral magazine!
As Good’s founding editor Francesca Price wrote in issue 01, “we don’t want to preach or stop you from doing the things you enjoy… we’ll lay out the facts, give you tips, the how-tos.” And we hold true to that philosophy today.
Francesca was right when she wrote that living sustainably “is a smarter way to live”. She also predicted that over this 15-year period we’d see the emergence of a very di erent society and one that we’d all have the opportunity to play a part in, to shape the world we live in, now. And we have!
It’s bizarre to think sustainability was a new concept to most of us back then and wonderful that it is now threaded through everything we do at a global, government, business, local and individual level.
While there is so much still to achieve in this space, Good is thankful to you for supporting us so that we are still here to serve you – our people – and the planet.
Our sister publication dish is also celebrating its 20th birthday this month so in the spirit of community and sharing, the dish team have created a fabulous birthday cake for both occasions (see page 78 for the recipe).
It’s truly scrumptious with ingredients such as quinoa, ground almonds, cocoa and orange zest. You might like to make it part of your Matariki feast celebrations!
The theme for 2023 is Matariki Kāinga Hokia (Matariki calls you home) where everyone is encouraged to return to their whānau and their people, wherever and whoever that might be. Matariki 2023 is also underpinned with important environmental messages.
Matariki.com is a great resource for all things Matariki and explains how the various stars of Matariki invite you to return to where you are from and reconnect with the mountains, rivers, ocean and land. It reminds us of our responsibility to the places we call home.
Stacey Morrison, who we’re delighted to have on the cover of this very special issue, is also a “Matariki star” as her birthday falls over this period. She will be taking part in the live Matariki Broadcast which you can tune into on Friday July 14 from 6am to 11am on matariki.com.
Afterwards, she’ll celebrating with whānau and casting her eyes skyward because, in her words, “Those moments of intentional stopping and presence and observation is something that Matariki o ers us.”
Mānawatia a Matariki