A New Plymouth retirement village celebrated Puanga with a shared hangi.
In Taranaki, the star Puanga marks the start of the Māori New Year, as Matariki is hidden by Taranaki Maunga.
On Monday, June 24, Arvida Molly Ryan residents and staff enjoyed a hangi lunch.
Village manager Jennifer MacBeth said this was the second year they’ve had the hangi lunch.
“Our maintenance man, Quentin Pratt, provides the hangi experience for us. He was on-site at 6am, preparing and cooking the hangi for us. We hope to make this hangi lunch a tradition. We have also been learning about Puanga and the residents have been very interactive in the discussion.”