Feasts, Stargazing, Arts and Crafts: Celebrate Matariki 2023 at ...

Last year marked the first official Matariki public holiday, celebrated in Aotearoa on June 24.

As the annual date for Matariki varies according to maramataka – the Māori lunar calendar – this year the official holiday falls on July 14, but some events and celebrations are happening for several days after as it’s still the Matariki period.

At its core, Matariki is a time to gather with whānau and loved ones, reflect on the past year and set intentions for the year to come. This is often best accompanied by some delicious kai, maybe some stargazing and an activity that encourages learning about te ao Māori and the significance of the Māori New Year. Wherever you are in the country, here are some things you could do. Mānawatia a Matariki!

See the annual Matariki show at Stardome Observatory, Auckland
If you don’t want to leave stargazing to chance with Auckland’s unpredictable weather, head to Stardome Observatory’s annual Matariki show, Ngā Whetū o te Tau Hou or The Stars of the New Year. Cosy up in the planetarium to learn about the significance of the Māori New Year and the stars that signify its arrival. On until July 30, this show is popular, so bookings are essential. More details here.

Head to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki for food, performances, a market and handicrafts
Once again, the gallery is hosting a free event running all day on the public holiday. There will be Matariki-inspired craft workshops for kids to make their own woven whetū (star) or ika (fish), a market where you can buy food and hand-crafted items by Māori makers, and a performance by Grammy Award-winning performer and instrumentalist Jerome Kavanagh among others. The gallery has a few performances and talks happening for Matariki, see the program here.

Head to Auckland restaurant Homeland for a boil-up
While Peter Gordon’s restaurant and cooking school Homeland is closed on July 14, it’s open on its other usual days and has put on a warming boil-up special for the next two weeks (from July 12). Gordon and Homeland head chef Dinesh Pm say they’ve “perfected” their take on the traditional Māori soup: it features pork rib, cheek and hāngī pork belly, along with kūmara, potatoes, cabbage, watercress, broth, and horopito doughboys. While you’re in the area, check out the IWA lighting installation that’s been set up around Viaduct Harbour. It was produced by creative director Tuhirangi Blair, music producer Riki Pirihi and light artist Angus Muir, featuring nine illuminated buoys that represent the Matariki stars. It’s permanently visible on the water until July 23, but is best viewed at dawn and dusk. Homeland, 11 Westhaven Drive, Auckland.

See a colourful quilt exhibition in Tauranga
There are some great art shows to see this month, and at Tauranga Art Gallery Heavenly Bodies by Maungarongo “Ron” Te Kawa is well-timed for the Māori New Year. It’s a series of his quintessentially joyful, embellished quilts made in honour of Matariki, the Pleiades constellation often depicted in Māori culture as a mother, Matariki, and her eight tamariki (children). The dimmed gallery suggests the night sky, with the medium- to large-scale quilts installed at varying heights along the walls. Each is individually lit, allowing you to see the intricacies of the artist’s sewing and use of different materials, threads and embellishments depicting aspects of each star’s identity as part of the Matariki cluster. On until August 6 at 108 Willow Street, Tauranga.

Welcome Matariki from the waterfront in Wellington
The capital is putting on all manner of events and attractions in honour of the Māori New Year. Until Sunday July 16, wrap up warmly and head to the waterfront for Ahi Kā, a multimedia display featuring projections, performances, installations and food trucks. More information here.

See Arrowtown in a new light with illuminated displays, firepits and more
Returning this year for a cultural festival on July 14, the story of Kā Muriwai Arrowtown’s Māori heritage will be retold through lighting and projections woven through Arrowtown’s main street. You can also see a performance of karakia (chanting) and waiata (songs), and learn the significance of the Matariki stars and their astronomical position in relation to New Zealand. This year, there will be more food stalls than before, and firepits for people to gather around.

Gather round for a woodfired feast in Glenorchy
The skies and surrounds of The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp are some of the most spectacular in the country. Located a 45-minute drive out of Queenstown, The Base Camp is offering a special for July 14 where you can cosy up for a wholesome woodfired winter feast and stay overnight in one of its warm, stylish cabins. $185 per adult and $145 per child. For bookings and enquiries, click here.