Te Rangi Huata: lighting Matariki bonfires for Mahuika

Driftwood and slash from Cyclone Gabrielle will fuel bonfires celebrating Matariki on Hawkes Bay beaches on Saturday night. Families are encouraged to light a small fire, bring fish and chips and marshmallows, tell stories and make jokes. Hawkes Bay iwi Ngati Kahungunu hope marking Matariki by celebrating the story of Mahuika, the goddess of fire, will become an annual tradition, eventually bigger than New Year's Eve. Event organiser Te Rangi Huata hopes to see small registered beach bonfires burning all the way up the Napier Hastings shoreline, even as far as Mahia, with families connected by beacons of flames. Fire and Emergency NZ and local councils have approved the event. you can register your bonfire via email: [email protected] {audio_play}