Matariki Kāinga Hokia – Matariki calls you home
Matariki Arrowtown Lights will return this weekend for its second year after a hugely successful celebration in 2022. The showcase of stunning projections will light up Buckingham street until 10pm each night, encouraging us all to reflect on the past and welcome the promise of a new year.
The theme for 2023 is Matariki Kāinga Hokia – encouraging everyone to return to their whānau and their people – wherever and whoever that may be. More importantly, the theme is underpinned with environmental messages of reconnecting with the mountains, rivers, ocean and land – reminding us of the responsibility we all have to the places we call home.
Event organiser Craig Gallegher is excited for the event and has recruited Silo, the creative team behind Luma to do the projections. The story of Matariki will be told through the projections, which will light up the town including on the Arrowtown Hall. Each location wil reference a different time for Matariki.
“It was just such a huge success last year and we really wanted to just carry on and build on that to celebrate Matariki,” says Craig. “While we do have those projection components and the Kapa Haka, there’s also the remembering of Matariki himself and the celebration of that.”
The event will kick off on from 4pm on Friday with a mihi followed by a karakia and songs by Waiatatia group. There will be performances by local kapa haka primary and high schools. Organisers are reminding everyone to dress warm and to stay updated on social media as the schedule may change due to bad weather. This year, everyone is asked to try and bring reusable cups and use the bins provided – let’s honour Papatūānuku (our Earth Mother) by minimising waste.
“New this year will be our firepits – it’s such a good element that we can incorporate so that people can gather, they can catch up with friends and family, and reflect on years and the year coming as well. That’s a part of our ethos around Matariki. We’ll also have some kai trucks, slightly more than we did last year, again to start growth and also helping to spread people around Buckingham Street. There’ll be different offerings all the way through, which will be a fundraiser for the Arrowtown preschool as well.”
Local Professor Brian Boyle will be back – he was a huge success last year. He’s a local astrophysicist who uses images he’s taken as well as other images and talks about the star formations and the meanings behind them. He has extensive knowledge on the Matariki star cluster and makes his presentations accessible and entertaining for all.
“The way he speaks and the way he conveys detail about the stars is just mesmerising. When you put it hand in hand with such a quality image that he delivers on some of our TV screens, it’s just absolutely captivating to have him there. He will have a little bit of a larger presence than he did last time.
“It’s all focused around Buckingham Street this year, and we’ve managed to squeeze in just a little bit more for people to come along and enjoy. The easiest way to stay up to date is through our Facebook and Instagram pages, which are already live and will be updated as we get closer with more and more information and what to expect,” says Craig.
The Matariki Arrowtown Lights will take place on 14 July down Buckingham Street and the surrounding alleyways. It’s a koha/gold coin donation event for all ages.
How does one spot Matariki in the sky? It’s best to get up early, before the sun, and start by finding Orion’s Belt. Shift your gaze to the left where you should see Te Kokotā – a triangular shape. Left again from this is the Matariki star cluster. There are nine stars in the cluster, Matariki is the mother, and the other stars are her children. Tupuānuku is associated with food from the ground, Tupuārangi for food found in the tops of the trees, Waitī for freshwater and water creatures, Waitā for food from the sea, Waipunarangi for the rain, Ururangi for nature and the winds, Pōhutukawa connects Matariki to those that have passed, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the wishing star that we send our dreams and desires to.
Original image: Messier 45 Open cluster by Filip Lolić / CC 3.0. This image has been edited (rotated, cropped and stars tagged) by Parliamentary Library, part of the Parliamentary Service.
