This year we had several student groups participate in the fabulous Matariki ki Mauao Festival hosted by Te Puna I Rangiriri Trust held at the base of Mount Maunganui.

The school workshop event ran for four days and offered four different workshops all centred around Matariki. On Monday 20 June our Puna wai 2 students had the attended the festival, and on Thursday 23 June we took our Arts and Cultural Leaders with 20 students from the Upper Middle School. 

Our ākonga learned about Maramataka Māori (moon phases) and how they are used in everyday life. 

They had a star dome experience, learning about Māori astrology and celestial navigation that the earliest Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa voyagers used. The students learnt how to tie knots and lash waka, and all about Waka Hourua voyaging. 

At lunchtime, the students participated in a weaving workshop.

On a guided hīkoi around the base of Mauao they learnt about the uses for plants like Kawakawa, the natural springs around Mauao, and what life looked like for Māori on Mauao before European settled in Aotearoa. The guide also spoke about why the restoration of the maunga is so important. 

It was a fantastic learning experience that students really enjoyed.