Matariki 2025: Rewi Spraggon explains Puanga, Matariki's older brother
Matariki is the public holiday we all celebrate this year on Friday, June 20.
But for iwi on the West Coast, there's not a lot to see. That's why they celebrate Puanga, in Māori
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
23-06-2025
- Scoop
Adventurers Set Off On 4,500km ‘Alpine Odyssey' Across Aotearoa New Zealand
Australian adventurer Huw Kingston and former Kiwi representative cyclist Laurence Mote will set off on their 4500km human powered journey the length of New Zealand this week, in an effort to raise vital funds for climate-resilient classrooms in Vanuatu. Dubbed 'Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa', the pair will begin their ambitious 90-day ski, hike, cycle and sail winter journey from Cape Reinga on Wednesday (25 June) to Slope Point. The route covers skiing at all 24 outdoor ski fields across the country, as well as Snowplanet in Auckland, along with extensive cycling, hiking trails, and sailing the Cook Strait. For Mote, who is legally blind and continues to manage symptoms from a life-changing brain injury in 2013, caused by a bee sting, anaphylactic shock, and subsequent stroke, the expedition is expected to be exceptionally demanding. Kingston completed a 700km ski and trek journey through the Australian Alps to raise funds for an Indigenous literacy project, Our Yarning in 2022. He says Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa is even more ambitious. Says Kingston: "It's good to be in New Zealand, to have met up with Laurence and to be sorting a mound of equipment for the next three months. Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa is an adventure, a celebration of New Zealand, of mountain life and a call to action. Our Pacific neighbours are living on the frontline of the climate crisis and it's vital we all step up to make a difference. "I arrived across the Tasman just in time to attend the celebrations for Matariki, the Māori New Year, an auspicious start to our journey across the landscapes of this stunning country." Mote added that over the weekend he was "blessed with a perfect view of Matariki" which left him with a "shiver of anticipation of what was to come". The pair is aiming to raise more than $75,000NZD to support Save the Children's and the Vanuatu Government's Ministry of Education and Training's innovative climate classrooms pilot project in Vanuatu. Recent climate-related emergencies, including back-to-back and out of season cyclones, have caused widespread damage and destruction to schools across the country and disrupted children's learning. Save the Children Vanuatu Country Director Polly Banks says the forward-thinking shipping container classrooms will help children get back to learning and a sense of normality faster. "In times of crisis, children returning to normal routines as soon as possible, including school, helps with their recovery. "Our climate resilient classrooms will give children the chance to get back to school quickly, reconnect with friends and teachers, and help them feel better and safer. Huw and Laurence's fundraising efforts will be used to pilot these classrooms and, if successful, we will look to scale the concept to reach children around the country." The classroom design includes multiple facets of sustainability, such as locally sourced and sustainable building materials, improved natural light and ventilation, and renewable energy for lights and fans. People looking to support the ambitious journey can donate to the cause, or even buy a ski resort in a quirky fundraising initiative through the official website and fundraising page. To date, the pair have already raised $17,000NZD.
Otago Daily Times
20-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
‘Gift' of Olveston celebrated on Matariki
Lynda Short, left, with daughter Catherine Short, and granddaughter Grace Thompson, take a tour of Olveston yesterday as part of the Matariki celebrations. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Nearly 200 people stepped back in time on Matariki yesterday. The people, mostly locals, were taking the opportunity to visit the historic Olveston house in Dunedin for the cost of an ice cream. Olveston home supervisor Alec McWhirter said offering the community the chance to visit the place for a nominal fee was in the spirit of Matariki. "It honours the wonderful gift the Theomins family gave us; and looks back as well as forward to the future. "We had at least 100 people through the home by noon; I would say there were at least 180 visitors to the home [yesterday]. "It's one of our busiest days of the year and certainly when we see the most locals. It's just really wonderful there are so many people who tell us that they've always wanted to come ... so we're really engaging with the community." Opened as a historic house museum in 1967, Olveston is a time capsule as little has changed inside the house since it was occupied as a family home from 1906 to 1966. "I think what really retains its appeal is the fact that, you know, everything here is original," Mr McWhirter said. "We live in this city with all these wonderful old buildings and all this wonderful architecture, but the insides have changed so much, whereas Olveston retains that kind of essence of the time. "People love learning those stories but also really connecting with the story of the Theomin family and learning how they contributed to their city and their time."
NZ Herald
19-06-2025
- NZ Herald
Matariki 2025: Rewi Spraggon explains Puanga, Matariki's older brother
We are starting Matariki 2025 week with a look at Puanga, the star Rigel in Orion. Matariki is the public holiday we all celebrate this year on Friday, June 20. But for iwi on the West Coast, there's not a lot to see. That's why they celebrate Puanga, in Māori
