Nau mai ki te whakanui te wa o Matariki.

Welcome and join us in celebrating Matariki.

Focussing on three days in the lunar calendar during Matariki, each day explores the realm of a different atua (deity) with hands-on activities related to fishing, hunting, planting, food gathering and other aspects of community life.

Explore with us some traditional activities undertaken by our ancestors during the Matariki season. In Hotunui, the meeting house, and in the wider Maori gallery spaces, we will explore the concept of whanau and community through storytelling, dance and/or handling specific taonga.

In the classroom, we discuss the origins of Matariki from a cultural and scientific perspective. Then we relate whanau and community to traditional food harvesting and resource sustainability.

Students will make something related to our overall theme to take away.

Programme Information

Related Museum Resources

New resources are currently in production for this programme.  

Galleries:   Maori Court  |   Te Ao Turoa  |   Te Kakano  |  Maori Culture

Other Related Resources

Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Heralding the New Year

Cycles of Life and Death

Te Kete Ipurangi

Hot Topic: Matariki

Related Activities

This programme may be combined with:

Maori Cultural Performance (charges apply), Te Ao Turoa gallery,  visit another gallery of your choice

 Useful Links

Tahuri Whenua: An Incorporated Society for the National Maori Vegetable Growers Collective representing Maori interests in the horticulture sector. 

The Stardome Observatory: a leading astronomical attraction with a 360° digital dome theatre and the 0.5m Zeiss telescope, situated in Auckland’s One Tree Hill Domain.