Aotea is gearing up for another busy Matariki long weekend, with the annual pig hunt, dawn hautapu ceremony and community hāngī among the events bringing islanders together over three days.
The weekend begins on Thursday, July 9, with the opening of the annual Aotea Pig Hunt. Teams of up to three hunters of all ages can enter free of charge by registering at Port FitzRoy Store, The Rocks or Stonewall Store, competing for more than $5,000 in prizes while helping manage wild pig numbers.
Local Board member Nikki Watts said the event recognised the role hunting played on the island while tackling an environmental issue.
“A community hunt is a proactive way to manage pig numbers rather than just focusing on eradication,” Watts said.
Weigh-ins will be held at the Department of Conservation office in Okiwi from 3pm to 4pm on Thursday and from 3pm to 5pm on Friday. Hunters using public conservation land must comply with kauri dieback hygiene requirements.
On Friday morning, the focus shifts to Kawa Marae, where the community will gather for the annual hautapu ceremony to mark Matariki. The ceremony begins at 6am, with people asked to arrive from 5.30am, and provides an opportunity to remember loved ones who have died, reflect on the past year and look ahead to the year to come.
The ceremony will be followed by local stalls, kōrero and waiata before the community returns to Kawa Marae for parakuihi (breakfast) and karanga keke.
Kawa Marae organiser Nancy Tait said everyone was welcome to attend.
“We’d love to welcome our whānau and the community of Aotea to join us at Kawa Marae for a special morning of reflection, remembrance, celebration, and connection.”
The hautapu ceremony is open to everyone and does not require registration. However, organisers are asking anyone planning to stay for breakfast to register, so enough kai can be prepared.
The Matariki weekend wraps up on Saturday, July 11, with a pork cooking competition from 11am, prizegiving at 1pm and a community hāngī at 2pm at the Port FitzRoy Boat Club.
