Matariki - Te Puia

Thank you for your support! The community Matariki celebration at Te Puia on Friday 14 July, is now sold out.

Te Puia will be open from 4.30am and we encourage guests to arrive at Carpark 2, at the Hemo Road & Old Taupo Road roundabout. Electric shuttles will be running from 4.30am to transfer guests to the main entrance.

Kaumatua and people using wheelchairs can park or be dropped off at the main Te Puia car park.

To help our team welcome guests efficiently, please remember to have your Eventbrite ticket ready for scanning on arrival.

Te Whakaruruhau is our large, covered event space where guests will be invited to wait prior to the introduction to the morning’s proceedings.

At the appropriate time, everyone will be invited into the space where the Hautapu will take place. There will be a limited amount of seating for kaumatua, and the forecast is for 8 degrees Celsius with a slight wind chill, so please dress warm.

We ask that you do not use your phone during the ceremony. It’s a time to be in sync with nature and disconnect from physical materials to reconnect with our taiao.

There is still some availability to enjoy a Matariki breakfast at Te Puia’s Pātaka Kai restaurant after the ceremony, you can view the menu and book your Matariki Breakfast here to avoid disappointment.

Below are four Matariki-inspired recipes that will help you celebrate the occasion at home, and get a deeper connection to what its rising is all about.

WATERCRESS PESTO

Waitī is one of the stars that rises with the cluster. She watches over the freshwater. The rivers. The lakes. The wetlands. These waterways connect us to one another. Which is why it’s important to mark her rising by connecting to those around us. The people who make us special. The people who we’re thankful for.

Show your thanks to all that Waitī does by prepping a kōwhitiwhiti pesto to share with loved ones.

Download Recipe

GREEN-LIPPED MUSSEL FRITTERS

When the Matariki cluster rises over the horizon, the star Waitā connects us to the thousands of creatures that call the moana their home. At this time we’re reminded to treat our oceans and their treasures like taonga – taking only what we need and giving respect in return.

This Matariki, honour Waitā by sharing kūtai fritters with the people special in your life.

Download Recipe

BOIL UP

As Tupuānuku rises with the Matariki cluster, she not only helps make sure our crops grow big and strong, but reminds us of the growth we need to make for the year. So whether you’re setting personal goals or looking to strengthen friendships with the people you love, you can’t go wrong with the Matariki staple of kōhua kai.

Download Recipe

BLACKBERRY AND KAWAKAWA COMPÔTE

As the star that’s connected to food grown in the sky, Tupuārangi gifts us with a plentiful bounty. Let’s show our appreciation, and share our thanks to everyone in our life, by finishing off our feast with a bowl of ice cream with blackberries and kawakawa compôte.

Download Recipe

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