The weather god Tāwhirimātea himself decided to make an appearance at Wānaka’s Matariki celebrations last Friday, as strong northwesterlies and rain rolled over the afternoon festivities.
More than 1500 people descended on the Dinosaur Park to witness entertainment, peruse stalls and sample food from a large hāngī, all organised by the Kahu Youth Trust.
Event MC Paul Tamati said the event’s "absolutely huge” turnout was in large part due to its emphasis on Wānaka’s youth, which extended to volunteers from Mount Aspiring College and performances from several school Kapa Haka groups.
"It’s about bringing the community together, but having the children as the ones we are here for and celebrating them because if you have the children there you have their parents ... every other caregiver and every other person that has guardianship to that child.”
He said the celebrations had come a long way from their humble origins 14 years ago, when the hāngī had relied on donations of meat from local farmers and vegetables from New World and Four Square.
‘‘So we ran it on no budget at that time. It’s all about the community giving to Kahu Youth."
Hāngī supervisor Dave Perry said they had prepared over 600 meals to be cooked in the pit, a size that required a little more patience than most other hāngī.
‘‘It’s just a matter of time. It usually only takes about three and a-half hours to cook an ordinary hāngī, but that’s . . . [bigger]."
As the sky darkened and the weather settled once more, attendees took part in a waiata on the lakefront, warmed by a series of bonfires set up for the occasion.
Mr Tamati said the event’s 14-year history had always been about ensuring Matariki could be embraced by everyone and the creation of the public holiday had only solidified that fact.
"It’s not about separation, it's about integration.
"It’s about getting on together, and look at it, we are. It’s just absolutely wonderful, I’m very proud.”
