New Motorway Makes Matakana Village And Farmer's Market More Accessible Than Ever
Wai, Kai & Kapa Haka – A Matariki Celebration At Matakana Village
It's a day to experience the beauty and meaning of Matariki through immersive cultural moments, hands-on fun, and incredible kai – all in the heart of Matakana Village. More >>
Sunday, 18 June 2023, 6:10 pm | Matakana Village
The opening of the new motorway from Pūhoi to Warkworth could not have come at a better time for Matakana Village retailers and business owners. Officially opened by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Friday 16 June, the new motorway makes the famous ... More >>
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Cruise visits expected to halve this summer
Economic uncertainty and rising costs have been cited as reasons for fewer cruise ships planning to visit Kaikōura this summer. Just five cruise ships are scheduled to visit Kaikōura during December, January and February, down from 11 last summer and 16 in summer 2023/24. ''There's lots of reasons. Global uncertainty, Government changes and it has led to less cruise ships planning to come this season,'' Destination Kaikōura manager Lisa Bond said. ''But everything has a cycle. This year we are down to five, but in two years we might be back to 13.'' She said cruise ship companies planned their schedules 18 months or two years ahead, so the global uncertainty was big a factor. But she noted cruise ship schedules are subject to change, depending on weather and other factors. Destination Kaikōura deputy chairperson Lynette Buurman said the ability to attract cruise ships has not been helped by Environment Canterbury increasing its berthage fees. As Kaikōura has small wharves, cruise ships anchor off the coast and bring tourists into the wharf by tender boats. An Environment Canterbury spokesperson said berthage fees depend on the size of the ship, ranging from $7666 for ships less than 100 metres to $16,866 for ships 200 metres or more. Cancellation fees also apply. It covers the costs of chart updates, operation and maintenance of navigation aids, and operation and maintenance of safety management systems. The berthage fees have not changed in the last 12 months, the spokesperson said. Other tourist hot spots are also experiencing sharp declines in cruise ship bookings. Bay of Islands' cruise ship bookings for the 2025/26 season have almost halved from their peak two years ago, from 92 to 47. A cruise ship representative told Local Democracy that cost increases had contributed to the drop. Ms Bond said Kaikōura enjoyed a busy summer and autumn, while King's Birthday weekend, Matariki weekend and the July school holidays brought strong numbers of visitors to the town. April was a particularly strong month, with the spend from domestic visitors up 15 percent compared to last year, while accommodation bookings were up 7%. Strong domestic support continued in May, with the spend up 13% and guest nights up 14% compared to May 2024. Ms Bond said the bulk of domestic visitors come from Canterbury, with visitor numbers from Auckland and Wellington also up. There has also been growth in international visitors, according to visitor data. International visitor spend, excluding accommodation (which is now pre-paid), is up 13%, which suggests either a higher average spend or an increase in day visits. A busy few months are expected, with the Kaikōura Whale Run and the Kaikōura Hop in September, followed by the school holidays, the Mountains to Sea Marathon and Labour Weekend in October, and the Kaikōura Trotting Cup in November, before summer gets into full swing. Destination Kaikōura is a partnership between the Kaikōura District Council and local tourism operators. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
1News
4 days ago
- 1News
Kaikōura cruise visits expected to halve this summer
Economic uncertainty and rising costs have been cited as reasons for fewer cruise ships planning to visit Kaikōura this summer. Just five cruise ships were scheduled to visit Kaikōura during December, January and February, down from 11 last summer and 16 in summer 2023/24. "There's lots of reasons. Global uncertainty, government changes and it has led to less cruise ships planning to come this season," Destination Kaikōura manager Lisa Bond said. "But everything has a cycle. This year we are down to five but, in two years, we might be back to 13." She said cruise ship companies planned their schedules 18 months or two years ahead, so global uncertainty was big a factor. ADVERTISEMENT But she noted cruise ship schedules were subject to change, depending on weather and other factors. Destination Kaikōura deputy chairperson Lynette Buurman said the ability to attract cruise ships has not been helped by Environment Canterbury increasing its berthage fees. As Kaikōura has small wharves, cruise ships anchored off the coast and brought tourists into the wharf by tender boats. An Environment Canterbury spokesperson said berthage fees depended on the size of the ship, ranging from $7666 for ships less than 100m to $16,866 for ships 200m or more. Cancellation fees also applied. It covered the costs of chart updates, operation and maintenance of navigation aids, and operation and maintenance of safety management systems. The berthage fees hadn't changed in the last 12 months, the spokesperson said. More centres feeling the pinch ADVERTISEMENT Other tourist hot spots were also experiencing sharp declines in cruise ship bookings. Bay of Islands' cruise ship bookings for the 2025/26 season had almost halved from their peak two years ago, from 92 to 47. Kaikōura's coastline. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) A cruise ship representative told Local Democracy that cost increases had contributed to the drop. Bond said Kaikōura enjoyed a busy summer and autumn, while King's Birthday weekend, Matariki weekend and the July school holidays brought strong numbers of visitors to the town. April was a particularly strong month, with the spend from domestic visitors up 15% compared to last year, while accommodation bookings were up 7%. Strong domestic support continued in May, with the spend up 13% and guest nights up 14% compared to May 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Bond said the bulk of domestic visitors came from Canterbury, with visitor numbers from Auckland and Wellington also up. There had also been growth in international visitors, according to visitor data. International visitor spend, excluding accommodation (which was now pre-paid), was up 13%, which suggested either a higher average spend or an increase in day visits. A busy few months were expected, with the Kaikōura Whale Run and the Kaikōura Hop in September, followed by the school holidays, the Mountains to Sea Marathon and Labour Weekend in October, and the Kaikōura Trotting Cup in November, before summer got into full swing. Destination Kaikōura was a partnership between the Kaikōura District Council and local tourism operators. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Why Raiatea, French Polynesia is a must visit for New Zealanders wanting to trace their lineage
Roughly twice the size of Waiheke Island, Raiatea is believed to be the ancestral homeland of Māori and the starting point for migratory journeys that followed the track of Matariki – the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) constellation – and led to the settlement of other Polynesian islands, including New Zealand. Home to the most significant marae in the Polynesian Triangle, the Marae Taputaputea (a Unesco World Heritage site since 2017) it's a must-visit for Kiwis wanting to learn more about their ancestral roots. Part of Marae Taputapuatea, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Photo / Getty Images To make the most of the experience, we met with a Tahitian guide through Aroha Experiences, who took us through Marae Taputapuatea and Raiatea's surrounding natural treasures. Our guide Naiki Lutz explained a bit more about the marae, Taputapuatea - 'tapu' meaning sacred and 'atea' meaning faraway. She's guided many New Zealanders through this same journey, many of whom she says are impacted deeply by a sense of connection felt to their ancestral roots. The marae was once a centre of power where high priests and chiefs gathered, and today still has an incredible presence, commanding respect. But visiting here hasn't always been a guarantee, as Lutz said many generations before her were scared of visiting the site, which was considered taboo and a no-go zone due to a mass wave of Christianity and large-scale attempts to cull the ancestral stories that had come before it. Christian missionaries had a significant influence on Raiatea, starting in the early 19th century, leading to conflicts and even the destruction of the traditional Marae Taputapuatea in 1828. While the people of Raiatea initially resisted, Christian missionaries successfully converted many and managed to gain political influence. Now, Lutz and many others on the island are on a mission to preserve the Tahitian culture, retell the stories, regenerate the land and bring back parts of what was lost. While some of the stories and traditions may never be recovered, Raeatea is in itself a history book in landscape form. One of the beautiful lagoons of Raiatea in French Polynesia. Photo / Getty Images It is home to many amazing natural features, such as Mount Temehani and its Tiara Apetahi flower, which grows nowhere else in the world and blooms at dawn. The island also boasts its magnificent lagoon, rivers bathed in rituals, and lush, unique vegetation. Lutz took us in her truck through the centre of the mountains, stopping to pick a fresh mangosteen and visit a river, used by locals for centuries to bathe and fish. There she prepared a coconut scrub for us using fresh coconut husk and coconut meat, and we bathed in the same river many generations of Tahitians have. We took time to appreciate all that the land has to offer as we gave back to the eels and shrimp around us as they feasted on discarded coconut. For a quick snack break, we detoured to a local market and tried mapé chaude for the first time, a fruit that's gruelling to harvest and cook and looks like an organ, but is a delicacy among locals. The taste is somewhere between a kūmara and a banana. Mapé from the local market. Photo / NZ Herald Time felt slower on Raiatea; nobody was rushing, and there was a knowledge everywhere we went that this place was special. Connecting to it for a moment in time was an honour not to be taken for granted. Although less famous than its neighbours Bora Bora and Moorea, Raiatea captivated us with its mana, spectacular landscapes and stories. At the end of our time there, we wove harakeke with our guide and dropped it into the ocean as a gift to Ta'aroa (the Tahitian supreme creator god), thanking him for our time at such a special place. Checklist Raiatea, French Polynesia GETTING THERE Fly from Auckland to Tahiti with Air Tahiti or Air New Zealand daily. Tahiti to Raiatea is a short 45-minute flight with Air Tahiti or Air Moana. DETAILS New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Tahiti Tourism. Jenni Mortimer is the NZ Herald's chief lifestyle and entertainment reporter. Jenni started at the Herald in 2017 and has previously worked as lifestyle, entertainment and travel editor.
