Before the Sun, the Stars
At 5:47 AM on a June morning in the Wairarapa, the sky is the colour of a bruise — deep purple fading to grey at the edges. You’re standing in a paddock with about forty other people, most of them holding thermos flasks, a few with binoculars. Nobody’s talking much. Then someone points northeast, just above the treeline, and there they are — a faint smudge of light, barely visible unless you know where to look. Matariki. The Pleiades. The Māori New Year has arrived.
Since 2022, Matariki has been an official public holiday in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2026, the public holiday falls on Friday, June 20, with celebrations running through June 26. It’s a week-long thing, not a single-day event, and the range of programming — from pre-dawn star-gazing to community feasts to museum exhibitions — is surprisingly wide for what is still a young holiday in its current form.
Nine Stars, Nine Meanings
In Māori tradition, Matariki isn’t just a cluster of stars. It’s a mother — a whaea — surrounded by her eight children, and each star connects to a different part of the natural world. Matariki herself relates to health and wellbeing. Tupuānuku governs food grown in the ground. Tupuārangi covers food that comes from the sky — birds, berries from tall trees. Waipuna-ā-rangi is rain and freshwater. Waitī is the freshwater bodies and the creatures in them. Waitā is the ocean. Ururangi is the winds.
Then there are the two that carry the most emotional weight: Pōhutukawa, the star that receives the spirits of those who have died during the year, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the wishing star, where you set your aspirations for the year ahead.
I won’t pretend to fully understand the depth of these connections after reading about them online — this is a knowledge system that goes back centuries and is still being actively reclaimed and taught. But even a surface understanding changes how you experience the week. When someone at a dawn ceremony talks about releasing names to Pōhutukawa, you know what they mean. That matters.
Where to Actually See the Stars
The astronomical part is central to Matariki, which means star-gazing events happen everywhere. The challenge is weather — June is mid-winter in New Zealand, and cloud cover is common. Your best odds for clear skies are inland, away from coastal moisture.
The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve around Tekapo in the South Island is the obvious choice if you’re serious about it. It’s one of the largest dark sky reserves in the world, and observatories there run specific Matariki programmes. The Wairarapa region, about 90 minutes northeast of Wellington, is another good option — less famous but reliably dark.
A few things worth knowing: Matariki rises in the east, just before dawn, so you’re looking at a 5–6 AM start depending on your latitude. It’s not a single bright star — it’s a cluster, and to the naked eye it looks like a small fuzzy patch. Binoculars help a lot. And dress like you’re going skiing, because standing in a field at 5 AM in a New Zealand winter is genuinely cold. Temperatures hover around 0–5°C in the South Island, maybe 5–10°C further north.
The Big City Festivals
Auckland and Wellington both run major Matariki festivals, and they’re worth building a trip around if you’re not the type to stand in a paddock at dawn.
Auckland’s Matariki Festival centres on the waterfront — light installations, live music, food markets, the usual urban festival mix, but with a specifically Māori cultural spine. The Auckland War Memorial Museum has done dawn ceremonies and astronomy exhibitions in previous years. The harbour lights up well, and the combination of waterfront dining and cultural programming makes for solid evenings. That said, Auckland in June is grey and wet more often than not. Pack a rain jacket and keep expectations flexible.
Matariki ki Pōneke is Wellington’s version, and it tends to lean harder into arts and community programming. Te Papa, the national museum, runs free Matariki events — they’re popular, so arrive early for the good ones. The waterfront evening markets serve traditional Māori food alongside the usual Wellington coffee-and-craft-beer scene. Wellington is colder and windier than Auckland in June, but arguably more atmospheric for it.
Both cities programme kapa haka performances — the powerful Māori performing art combining song, dance, and chanting. If you haven’t seen kapa haka live, it’s worth seeking out. It’s intense in a way that video doesn’t really capture.
The Parts That Stay With You
The three themes of Matariki are straightforward: remembrance (honouring those who’ve passed), celebration (gathering to share food and gratitude), and looking forward (setting intentions for the year ahead). In practice, this translates into dawn ceremonies, communal feasts, and wishing or tree-planting activities.
The remembrance ceremonies — where communities speak the names of those who’ve died since the last Matariki and release them to Pōhutukawa — are the ones that tend to catch visitors off guard. They’re quiet. There’s a weight to them that you don’t get at most public holidays.
Many marae (Māori meeting grounds) open their doors during Matariki for hangi feasts. Hangi is food slow-cooked underground using heated stones — the meat and vegetables come out incredibly tender, with a distinctive earthy, smoky flavour. If you get an invitation to a marae hangi, accept it. Remove your shoes when asked, stay quiet during karakia (prayers), and eat everything.
Getting Practical
The Matariki long weekend means domestic travel spikes. New Zealanders use it for winter getaways, and accommodation in popular spots books out fast. If you’re planning to be in Queenstown or Wanaka — both within range of ski fields that are typically opening around this time — book well ahead.
Speaking of skiing: Matariki coincides roughly with the start of the New Zealand ski season. Combining cultural celebrations with a few days on the slopes is a genuinely good itinerary, especially around Ruapehu in the North Island (where you can do Matariki events in the region and ski the next day) or the Queenstown-Wanaka corridor in the South Island. Trip.com and KLOOK both list New Zealand activities and accommodation — useful for comparing prices, though I’d also check directly with local operators.
Many Matariki events are free and community-run, which is refreshing. Local council websites are the most reliable source for event listings — the official Matariki website aggregates them too, but council pages tend to be updated more consistently.
One more thing: if you can get outside the main centres, do it. The smaller towns — particularly in the Bay of Plenty, East Cape, and Northland, areas with strong Māori communities — run Matariki events that feel more personal and less produced. The lantern-making workshops and light parades in places like Rotorua or even smaller towns are genuinely lovely. They light up the mid-winter dark without trying too hard.
A Holiday That Earns Its Meaning
The Matariki public holiday is still young — only a few years old in its current form. There’s something interesting about watching a country figure out what a new holiday feels like in real time. The programming gets better each year. The cultural institutions keep refining what they offer. And the basic idea behind it — pause, remember, gather, look up — doesn’t need much refining at all.
I checked out of the hotel on the last morning and the woman at reception asked if I’d seen the stars. I said I had, barely, through a gap in the clouds. She said that was about right for June.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is Matariki 2026 and is it a public holiday? A: Matariki 2026 falls on Friday, June 20, with celebrations running through June 26. It is an official New Zealand public holiday, so banks, government offices, and many businesses will be closed on the Friday. Most tourist attractions and restaurants remain open.
Q: Can you see Matariki stars with the naked eye? A: Yes, but just barely — Matariki (the Pleiades) appears as a small fuzzy patch of light in the northeast sky just before dawn, around 5:30–6:00 AM in mid-June. Binoculars make a significant difference. Head to a location with minimal light pollution, such as the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve or the Wairarapa region, for the best viewing.
Q: What is a hangi and where can visitors try one during Matariki? A: Hangi is a traditional Māori cooking method where meat and vegetables are slow-cooked underground using heated stones, producing tender food with a distinctive smoky, earthy flavour. During Matariki week, many marae (Māori meeting grounds) host public hangi feasts — check local council event listings for your area. Some Auckland and Wellington festival events also serve hangi-style food.
Q: Is Matariki worth visiting for international tourists? A: Absolutely — Matariki offers a cultural experience you won’t find anywhere else, combining indigenous astronomy, communal feasting, and remembrance ceremonies. June is also the start of New Zealand’s ski season, so you can combine cultural events with skiing at Ruapehu, Queenstown, or Wanaka. Book accommodation early, as the long weekend is popular with domestic travellers too.
Q: What’s the weather like in New Zealand during Matariki (late June)? A: Late June is mid-winter in New Zealand. Expect temperatures around 0–5°C in the South Island and 5–12°C in the North Island. Rain is common, especially in Auckland and the west coast. Pack warm layers, a waterproof jacket, and a beanie — particularly if you’re attending dawn ceremonies or stargazing events outdoors.
Quick Travel Tips
Quick Travel Tips for Matariki 2026
- Book early: The Matariki long weekend (June 20) triggers a domestic travel rush. Accommodation in Queenstown, Wanaka, and Rotorua sells out weeks ahead — lock in bookings by late April.
- Getting there: Auckland (AKL) and Wellington (WLG) are the main international gateways. Domestic flights to Queenstown (ZQN) or Rotorua (ROT) run frequently with Air New Zealand and Jetstar. Rental cars are essential outside the main cities.
- Budget estimate: Expect NZ$150–300/night for mid-range accommodation, NZ$15–30 for casual meals, and NZ$50–80 for guided stargazing tours. Many Matariki community events are free.
- Dress for winter: Layers are non-negotiable. Bring thermals, a down jacket, waterproof outer layer, warm hat, and gloves — especially for 5 AM stargazing sessions. Temperatures can drop below freezing inland.
- Dawn ceremony timing: Matariki rises in the northeast before sunrise, roughly 5:30–6:00 AM. Arrive 30 minutes early to adjust your eyes to the dark. Bring a thermos of something hot.
- Combine with skiing: The ski season typically opens around Matariki week. Ruapehu (North Island) and the Queenstown-Wanaka corridor (South Island) let you do cultural events and slopes in the same trip.
- Check council websites: Local council event pages are the most reliable and up-to-date source for Matariki programming. The official Matariki website aggregates events but council listings update faster.
- Respect marae protocol: If invited to a marae, remove shoes at the door, stay quiet during karakia (prayers), and follow your host’s lead. Don’t sit on tables or pillows meant for heads.
