HEAVENLY CELEBRATION

Celebrate the Māori new year in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) with Matariki Festival, from 21 June-16 July. The rise of Matariki – also known as the Pleiades star cluster – in the winter skies above Aotearoa is an important time in the Māori calendar, as it signifies the start of the Māori new year. Historically, new year celebrations provided the opportunity for whānau to come together to acknowledge the year gone by, prepare and plan for the year ahead; to celebrate with kai, kōrero, ceremony and to pass on traditional skills, such as flax weaving and basket making. The Matariki Festival happens across the Whangarei District in Pipiri – Hōngongoi. matarikifestival.org.nz