WelCom June 2019:
Matariki is the Māori name for a cluster of stars which is visible in our night sky at a specific time of the year. In 2019, the cluster sets on 27 May and from 25 to 28 June, Matariki will re-appear in the dawn sky – signalling the start of the Māori New Year.
Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). It’s a time of renewal
and celebration in Aotearoa that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster (the Pleiades or Seven Sisters).