Matariki

Kiaora whānau

We have been fully involved this week with Matariki.

Matariki is the Māori name for the small cluster of stars also known as Pleiades, or the Seven sisters, in the Taurus Constellation.
In Āotearoa, it comes into view on the north eastern horizon, appearing in the tail of the Milky Way in the last days of May or in early June, just before dawn.
This heralds the Māori New Year.
Matariki is also associated with the Winter Solstice. It appears when the sun, drifting north on the shortest day in winter, reaches the north-eastern end of the horizon. The sun then turns around and begins its journey south.
Check out our phots and also a short clipping from YouTube- about Matariki for 2010.