The community is invited to experience the magic of Matariki and usher in the Māori New Year with an exciting programme of Matariki Tauranga Moana 2023 events.
From June 15 to July 19, Tauranga will come alive with over 40 events across the city, including workshops, exhibitions, live performances, family events and more.
As a nation, we celebrate Matariki with a public holiday on Friday, July 14 – a time to reflect on and celebrate our history and make plans for our future.
In Tauranga Moana, our celebrations start on Thursday, June 15, with master celestial navigator Jack Thatcher continuing his 30-year tradition of walking to the summit of Mauao.
Join Jack at the summit at 6am Thursday, Friday or Saturday - June 15 to June 17 - to view the Matariki cluster and share kōrero and knowledge of the significance of Matariki.
These observation hikoi mark the start of a great line-up of events. Enjoy creative workshops; explore captivating exhibitions; attend the prestigious awards night; have a fun-filled day with music, kai, and haka at The Historic Village; and much more.
The festivities conclude on Wednesday, July 19 with the Matariki ki Mauao programme of events at the base of Mauao, offering guided tours and workshops for schools.
Tauranga City Council Commission Chair Anne Tolley shares her anticipation of Matariki Tauranga Moana 2023 – a celebration that holds special significance this year.
'This is the 30-year anniversary of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Otepou reviving the Matariki celebrations in Tauranga in 1993 with an early morning trek up Kopukairoa Mountain.
'This notable milestone adds an extra layer of significance to the upcoming festivities. The Council is proud to support the Matariki celebrations once again this year, with a diverse range of events and experiences for everyone to enjoy,” Anne says.
The Matariki Tauranga Moana theme this year is Tupuānuku – one of the stars in the Matariki cluster.
Tupuānuku is connected to kai (food) and rongoā (traditional medicines) that are grown in the soil or harvested from the ground.
Matariki Tauranga Moana invites everyone to discover the significance of Matariki and explore ways to observe the Māori New Year with whānau and friends.
Event details and booking information are available at www.mymatariki.co.nz
4 comments
Hmmm
Posted on 03-06-2023 16:34 | By Let's get real
Once the novelty wears off for the vast majority of the population, it will become yet another publicly funded gravy-train. Paganism, as with any and all other forms idolatry, shouldn't be funded from the public purse. If you want to look at the stars or a tree, do it at your own expense and charge a fee if you want to make money from it.
@Let's get real
Posted on 04-06-2023 14:51 | By morepork
I smiled at your point about paganism. In my world view, there is no superiority between religion (ANY belief system, including Christianity and Islam) and paganism. I see all of them as superstition, and something we should have grown out of centuries ago. (These beliefs have held us back for aeons; consider the people looking for answers who were burned at the stake or tortured to death for independent thought.) Having said that, I try to respect other people's beliefs and not judge them for holding such. There is romance and colour in these ancient legends and (as long as no-one gets hurt) there can be satisfaction in observing them. Whether you call the seven visible stars that rise at this time "Pleiades" or "Matariki" makes them no less beautiful and they probably deserve a ceremony. Try looking with field glasses or a small telescope; it's an amazing cluster.
Waste Of MY Tax
Posted on 04-06-2023 16:40 | By Tonka
It basically is a gravy train now, why are ordinary New Zealanders paying for another public holiday. The money could be used in so many other areas
@Tonka
Posted on 05-06-2023 14:51 | By morepork
Your post indirectly raises something we don't take note of. There ARE many other uses for the money, and there always will be. Deciding what funds SHOULD be used for is the reason for "Prioritizing". As it is our money being spent, you might reasonably expect we should be consulted during the prioritization process. But that would require "engagement". Instead, the Commission decides WHAT will be pursued, and then asks for feedback from the public, which it promptly stores in file 13. There is much show of getting community engagement and sometimes a free cup of tea is offered, but there will be no action on anything that did not come from the Administration, and any thought or suggestion that is not "but we've ALWAYS done it this way" will be ignored. Innovation, imagination, and new technology are considered as dangerous as incompetence, and treated accordingly.
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