Matariki

 Hi there

This past Friday was a fairly new public holiday in New Zealand.  It's to celebrate Matariki, the Maori New Year when early Maori -  charting the stars - would plan the year ahead, eg, crop planting, exploration, etc.

Mataraki is for families and friends (whanau) to be together in our modern world....

Matariki is a star cluster, known by the ancient greeks as Pleiades.  On Friday morning I got up just before dawn and went out into the back garden, armed with my binoculars.  It was a black sky, but over toward the east, stood out this wonderful bright cluster of stars.  Matariki.  What a privilege to see it in all its splendour.

web photo