Kei nga rahi o Tāmaki Makaurau nau mai ki Matariki ki Te Tōangaroa

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei invites Aucklanders to join them in marking the end of Matariki and the start of a new year on Wednesday, 15 July.

The hapū will be hosting festivities in the heart of the Auckland CBD business precinct, Te Tōangaroa, from 11am to 2pm and will include kai trucks, weaving workshops, kapa haka performances and an array of activities.

‘Matariki @ Te Tōangaroa’ concludes day-long celebrations to mark the end of Matariki which begin with a dawn karakia at Takaparawhau in Ōrākei.

Chairman of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust, Marama Royal, says this an opportunity for Tāmaki Makaurau to reflect on the challenges of the last year, in particular the last six months, and to look toward the future.

“As Ahi Kaa, we have a deep connection to central Tāmaki Makaurau having been here long before the city was first established and as owners of Te Tōangaroa we want to uphold our value of manaakitanga.

“We, our whānau and local businesses, have collectively endured a trying past five months but Matariki brings a new year and an opportunity to create and build upon new aronga, new focuses and outlooks. It’s a time to come together to reflect, refocus, plan and look ahead to the future,” says Marama.

In line with the value of kaitiakitanga and the vision for Tāmaki Makaurau to be recognised as a para kore city, this will be a Para Kore lunchtime event with volunteers on site to ensure a waste free whānau-friendly experience.

The 40-acre land holding at Te Tōangaroa, which sprawls from The Strand in the east to Britomart Place in the west, is the single largest commercial asset belonging to the hapū and home to the offices of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust and Whai Rawa, the commercial arm. The Matariki event is part of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei wider vision to restore Te Tōangaroa to its original use as a place for people to come together. 

“As depicted in our Te Tōangaroa masterplan, we want to create a thriving destination that all Tāmaki residents can be proud of. A CBD that pays respect to Papatūānuku, celebrates our culture and our Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei relationship to the whenua, and one that will enable all Aucklanders to reconnect and access the moana,” says Marama.

Matariki @ Te Tōangaroa Event Information
Date: Wednesday, 15 July 2020
Time: 11am – 2pm
Location: 13-19 Mahuhu Crescent, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010