Matariki 2023: Auckland Airport to make PA announcements in te reo Māori for a day

Auckland Airport will deliver PA announcements in te reo Māori throughout international and domestic terminals, in celebration of Matariki. Photo / Alex Burton

Auckland Airport will deliver PA announcements in te reo Māori throughout international and domestic terminals, in celebration of Matariki.

On July 14, travellers arriving and departing from Auckland Airport will hear greetings and farewells in teo reo Māori as well as English explanations about Matariki’s significance.

The celebration is a unique opportunity to educate people about Matariki and its traditions according to Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui.

“The first thing travellers will hear when they land on Kiwi soil and disembark the plane, will be te reo Māori,” she said.

Inside the airport, people will also hear meaningful messages about Matariki voiced by two school children and two Auckland Airport employees who speak te reo Māori; Gabriel Thompson and Mataio Masina.

“Matariki is an important time for many of our Auckland Airport employees and we want to share this with our travellers,” Hurihanganui said.

July 14 is set to be a busy day at the airport, and the airport predicts 52,000 people will pass through the terminals; 14,000 international travellers are expected to arrive and 12,000 will depart, while, in the domestic terminal, 13,000 will arrive and 13,000 will depart.

Those who arrive at the international terminal will also be welcomed by a karanga as they proceed through the tomokanga (the Māori carved entrance).

A sample of the PA announcements, shared with the Herald, says: Nau mai ki Aotearoa, tau mai ki Tāmaki Makaurau. Tākina rā ko Pūanga e tōia nei a Matariki ki te pae. Mānawatia te wā, mānawatia te ātea, mānawatia ngā tohu o te tau hou Māori. Tukua tō manawa kia ngā i te mauri o Matariki. Tukua tō ngākau kia pīpiri atu ki te mahana o tō ahi kā. Tukua tō ate kia ngiha anō a mahara. Tukua ngā hara ki tua, kia wātea ai tō ātea ki mua. Mānawatia a Matariki.

This translates to: Welcome to Auckland, New Zealand. Today, we celebrate the rising of Matariki, the star cluster. For many Māori, it heralds the start of the New Year. As you step into Tāmaki Makaurau, immerse yourself in the magic of Matariki. For many, Matariki is a time to rest, to reconnect with loved ones and reminisce about past times, to realign with the present and reset for the future. We wish you a bountiful year ahead. Mānawatia a Matariki.

The two talented tamariki who recorded the announcements were 15-year-old Psalm-Aawhina Mahanga from Manurewa High School and a 7-year-old student from an Auckland junior school.

The PA announcements have been created to celebrate Matariki but Hurihanganui said this may not be the last time travellers hear teo reo Māori in the airport.

“These PA recordings have the opportunity to be something we can come back to and refresh time and time again, as a way to mark special occasions.

“Our team members were proud to be a part of this and we look forward to seeing reactions from travellers as they come through the terminals.”