East Auckland has been treated to a unique cultural celebration held to celebrate the Māori New Year.
The Matariki Festival was staged at O Wairoa Marae, beside Uxbridge Arts and Culture, in Howick on June 17.
The free community event was organised by the Te Tuhi art gallery in Pakuranga and featured a barbecue, storytelling, cultural performances, traditional and contemporary activities and numerous workshops.
Several hundred people packed into the theatre at Uxbridge Arts and Culture in the afternoon to be entertained by talented kapa haka teams from local schools including Wakaaranga Primary School, which closed out the day.
The festival was presented by O Wairoa Marae, Te Tuhi, Arts Out East, International Women’s Association of New Zealand – Te Huinga Wāhine Manatōpū o Aotearoa, Uxbridge Arts and Culture, and Howick Library.
