Welcome to the home of Matariki
Te Tauranga o ngā Waka
Matariki Te Tauranga o ngā Waka encompasses events in Tauranga Moana and the western Bay of Plenty, from Waiororo near Athenree in the north to Ōtamarākau, near Maketu, in the south.
Matariki for our rohe starts on 28 May 2025. The theme for 2025 is Waipuna-ā-rangi.
Artwork: Kereama Taepa
Photo Credit:
Moana Radio
Artwork: Kereama Taepa
Waipuna-ā-Rangi:
Spring of Light
This year, Matariki Te Tauranga o ngā Waka embraces Waipuna-ā-rangi as its theme. Waipuna-ā-rangi is a whetū (star) in te Kāhui o Matariki (the Matariki cluster.)
She is connected to the ua (rains) and other atmospheric conditions.
Translated, Waipuna-ā-rangi means water that pools in the sky (ngā puna wai i te Rangi).
She is one of two stars associated with weather, the other being Ururangi.
Waipuna-ā-rangi also symbolises the relationship water has to our life cycle, how it is evaporated from the rivers, oceans, and lakes to fall again as the rain which we drink, and which nourishes the land.
What is Matariki?
Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster also known as the Pleiades. While it comprises over 300 stars, only seven are typically seen. At the end of May this year, we can observe Matariki rise in the north-eastern horizon just before dawn.
Matariki is a time for remembering the dead and celebrating new life. Matariki was a season for manaakitanga (hospitality) that brought communities together. Visitors were showered with gifts of specially preserved food and other delicacies. Throughout Matariki, Māori learnt from each other, which ensured that traditions like arts, weaving, waiata, performances, wānanga and whakapapa were passed from one generation to the next.
Contact
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MATARIKI COUNTDOWN
NGĀ MIHI NUI
Matariki Te Tauranga o ngā waka 2025 is proudly brought to you by…
