Ngātiwai Kaumatua Kapa Haka Rōpu with MC Miss Kihi (left) opens Whakanuia a Matariki me Puanga at Whangārei's Town Basin, the first major event in Northland to mark Matariki and Puanga, the Māori New Year, of 2022.
Matariki was celebrated in style in Whangārei on Friday evening with the first Whakanuia a Puanga me Matariki (Celebration of Puanga and Matariki) festival.
Local iwi Ngātiwai hosted an evening of live music, kai, arts and entertainment that combined a twilight market on the Town Basin's Canopy Bridge with a
concert at the adjacent Pūtahi Park.
Several hundred people gathered at Putahi Park and the Canopy Bridge by 4.30pm despite chilly weather and showers to celebrate the start of Matariki me Puanga, the Māori New Year.
Canopy Bridge was packed with people and close to 40 stalls offering rongoa, crafts, clothing, and a huge range of tasty treats ranging from barbecued crayfish to hangi.
It was the first public event at Pūtahi Park, which has proved a hit with families since it opened in March.
