Matariki Whānau Day: Unity, we’re all in the same boatTe Rā o te Whānau o Matariki: He waka hourua, he waka eke noa

Matariki Herenga Waka, the theme of this year’s celebrations, acknowledges the stories, traditions, and mātauranga carried by waka, and the voyages that bring people together.

Waka hourua  are central to Māori and Pacific celestial navigation stories, and our ancestors’ journeys across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.  

Celebrate the Matariki public holiday with a day of free whānau activities.

Programme

• Learn about the remote Polynesian Islands of Rennell and Bellona in the Solomon Islands through a design workshop with Artist and Carver Selwyn Palmer.

• Discover the  vegetables and fruit that grow in the islands of Fiji during particular lunar phases in the Fijian environmental Calendar with Emele Ugavule.

• Navigators from Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti will demonstrate their star compass and how it is used in voyaging across the Pacific.

• Learn about the importance of the frigatebird in Kiribati culture with St Josephs Kiribati Community.

• Complete a Te Papa Taonga Trail and learn about the exhibitions and the tohu of Matariki.

• Get your face painted with Matariki-inspired designs.

This event will have NZSL interpretation. A full schedule, including information for Deaf whānau, will be shared soon.

Matariki Whānau Day 2025 Te Papa. Photo by Jo Moore. Te Papa (268593)