MATARIKI 2024: WHANGAMATā FESTIVAL AND HāNGī ATTRACT HUNDREDS
Whangamatā's three days of Matariki celebrations received an overwhelming response, organisers said, with hundreds converging on the town for a taste of culture.
Matariki Whangamatā, in its second year, saw a series of workshops, performances and cultural experiences across the town between Thursday and Sunday.
It included a concert and hāngī in Williamson Park on Friday.
Organisers said the hāngī, for which three sheep, two pigs and 500 chicken drumsticks were cooked in two earth ovens, sold out - for the second year.
Preparations got underway about 12 noon Thursday with the digging of the hāngī holes, collection of firewood, preparation of rail irons.
“We had a huge pile of wood, manuka and kanuka, which we had stored since early in the year,” Whangamatā Community Marae Trust chairman Ryan Thompson said
“Then a digger came down... and dug the holes.”
Close to 100 volunteers turned up at the Whangamatā Memorial Hall late Thursday afternoon to help prepare the food.
Thompson said the hāngī fires were lit about 5.30am on Friday by a mix of volunteers, led by Errol Gilbert. The hāngī was put in the ground around 10am and came out of the ground after 3pm.
Thompson estimated about 900 portions of food were served.
However, attendees not only got to taste a range of kai, including pork, mutton, steamed vegetables, chicken, stuffing, fry bread and steamed pudding, they were also treated to a variety of performances, including kapa haka, on the outdoor stage at Williamson Park.
Meanwhile, at Whangamatā Memorial Hall, about 600 turned up from 9am to view and take part in a series of workshops.
“A lot of them were staying for up to three hours, it was all interactive, you could make something to take away with you,” Thompson said.
“It was absolutely lovely... Matariki turned on the weather.”
The celebrations continued early Sunday morning on Onemana Beach from 6.15am.
“The forecast was cloudy, but it ended up being clear, we could actually see Matariki; it was nice to sit on the beach with whanau, there were kids flying kites.”
Thompson said the main objective of the weekend was bringing the community together and raising the profile of Māori culture and the Whangamatā Community Marae Trust.
“It is coming back in 2025; we will have a debrief next week and look at how we can make it bigger and better for 2025.
“Our approach is to not really make money but to bring the community together; we aim to meet the costs and have a little bit left over.”
The trust had been established over 50 years ago, started by kaumātua and tangata whenua, when they identified a need for a community marae in the town, Thompson said.
He thanked an estimated 50 volunteers involved in the event.
Whangamatā Community Marae Trust worked in partnership with the Arts Collective, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Te Whanau Waka Ama O Whangamatā, Creative Communities, Te Puni Kōkiri, Ngāti Pū, Eastern Coromandel Community Services Trust and Bunnings Warehouse Whangamatā.