Matariki star cluster

This year, New Zealand also observes it as its newest public holiday. Though many people have been celebrating Matariki for years, some may not know much about ...

Waitā is salt water and is linked to the moana, and the many kinds of food that can be gathered from the sea. It's the star that is linked to fresh water and all the creatures that live in the rivers, the streams and the lakes - particularly eels. When the cluster returns to the horizon just before the sunrises, the dead of the year make their final journey into the sky. First up, there's Pōhutukawa. Many Māori believe that this is the star which guides the dead across the night sky. Māori astronomer Dr Rangi Mātāmua was part of the advisory group and a driving force behind it becoming an official holiday. Labour pledged in 2020 it would make Matariki an official public holiday should the party be re-elected.

The star constellation Matariki heralds a new year in sync with our seasons, and how Māori lived in tune with the environment. A star cluster celebrated around ...

Matariki is a time to consider what we have gathered in the last year, remember those we've lost, and set plans for the future. The nine stars of Matariki each have their own names and qualities. Experts can read these stars and predict the upcoming season, knowing that a clear and bright appearance of Matariki forecasts a warm winter, whereas if they're hazy, a tough winter looms. When Matariki disappears or 'sets' in April or May, this told our ancestors it was time to harvest, and preserve crops for the cold months ahead. The star constellation Matariki heralds a new year in sync with our seasons, and how Māori lived in tune with the environment. Known as Subaru in Japan and Pleiades in Greece, Matariki is also woven into ancient narratives from Australia and China. The number of stars seen and origin stories vary, just as they do in Aotearoa, with some iwi recognising Puanga as heralding a new year, rather than Matariki.

Cloud cover allowing, Matariki comes into view shortly before sunrise as a small pulsating collection of stars just above the north-eastern horizon. The NIWA ...

Maximum temperature in the upper single numbers. Maximum temperature in the lower double digits. Maximum temperature in the lower double digits. Maximum temperature in the mid-teens. Maximum temperature in the mid-teens. Increasing cloud in the afternoon. Increasing cloud in the afternoon. Chilly, with morning temperatures in the lower single numbers. Gusty in the afternoon. Increasing cloud cover with showers possible in the afternoon. Increasing cloud cover with isolated showers developing late in the day. Chilly, with morning temperatures in the lower single numbers.

Kahukuramihiata Robson (9) plays with her poi during a Matariki market at the University of Otago last night. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH.

"The best viewing looks to be in the lower North Island and eastern South Island, especially on Friday and Saturday mornings. The sky would be mostly clear on Friday morning, but it would be mostly cloudy on Saturday morning and there was a chance of morning showers on Sunday. In the lower South Island, the best time and place to see it would be on Friday morning in coastal Otago and Southland, including Dunedin and Invercargill, she said.

New Zealand's first official Matariki holiday on Friday brings Māori to prominence in a way that resonates with Māori policy advisor Chris Webber. Matariki is ...

The star constellation Matariki heralds a new year in sync with our seasons, and how Māori lived in tune with the environment. A star cluster celebrated around ...

Matariki is a time to consider what we have gathered in the last year, remember those we've lost, and set plans for the future. The nine stars of Matariki each have their own names and qualities. Experts can read these stars and predict the upcoming season, knowing that a clear and bright appearance of Matariki forecasts a warm winter, whereas if they're hazy, a tough winter looms. When Matariki disappears or 'sets' in April or May, this told our ancestors it was time to harvest, and preserve crops for the cold months ahead. The star constellation Matariki heralds a new year in sync with our seasons, and how Māori lived in tune with the environment. Known as Subaru in Japan and Pleiades in Greece, Matariki is also woven into ancient narratives from Australia and China. The number of stars seen and origin stories vary, just as they do in Aotearoa, with some iwi recognising Puanga as heralding a new year, rather than Matariki.