Matariki Whakarewa Manu - Kite Day

Look up — the sky is about to come alive.

This Matariki, watch giant kites soar overhead and spend a fun-filled day alongside whānau at one of the season's most spectacular celebrations.

Kites hold a special place in Māori culture — used historically for fishing, surveillance, divination, and predicting the weather. But their deepest significance goes beyond the practical: for many Māori, kites are a conduit between the physical and spiritual realms, carrying messages to those who have passed and delivering specially prepared kūmara to sustain Matariki for the year ahead. Come for the spectacle, stay for the meaning.