Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki
Celebrate the rising of Matariki
We are celebrating Matariki with a range of activities to celebrate the Māori New Year!
Matariki is a star cluster that appears in the night sky in June or July each year, marking the beginning of the Māori New Year.
Unlike a constellation, which is made up of stars that only appear close together from Earth but may be far apart in space, a star cluster like Matariki consists of stars that are physically near each other. The Matariki cluster, contains around 500 stars, although only a nine are visible to the naked eye.
Check out our great Matariki activities below.
In Te Puawānanga, our science and technology centre, visit our Wishing Star Ki a Hiwa Rā! to make a digital wish for the New Year to Hiwa-i-te-rangi (the star of wishes and aspirations) and see the beautiful artwork of Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho (Tūhoe/Ngāti Porou/Rongowhakaata/Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi/Ngāti Kahungungu).
Create and design your own whetū (star) to decorate your whare with and take part in the Mataraiki stamp trail and explore MOTAT - can you collect all the stars?
Join us on Sunday 19 July for LIVE DAY: Weather Science and uncover the stories of the weather-related stars in the Matariki cluster, Waipunarangi and Ururangi.
Make and take home your own cloud finder, have fun with weather science experiments featuring raindrops and rainbows, and find out more about the different winds and how they work at our latest exhibition Ngā hau a Tāwhirirangi Forces of Flight, in the Aviation Hall.
At the Aviation Hall, embark on a journey through the night sky with Mānawatia a Matariki VR Experience, an immersive guide exploring and celebrating the Matariki cluster through storytelling and sensory design.
Keep a look out for our Heritage trams that will be proudly displaying Matariki flags over the next two weeks too!