Master navigator Jack Thatcher has continued his near 30-year tradition of walking to the top of Mauao for the first observations of the Matariki star cluster and the Māori New Year in Tauranga Moana.

The skies cleared in time for the early morning hikoi on Tuesday, which saw many in the Tauranga community gather at the summit to hear kōrero on the significance of Matariki, share in karakia and remember loved ones who have recently passed away.

Jack says the event is a special time to reflect on the past and build knowledge for the future.

'I think it's important for us to remember where we came from and who we are – that's a big part of this whole Mānawatia a Matariki. We remember those that have passed on in the last year, and we send them on by calling out their names.

'Then we are able to remember ourselves. In sharing the knowledge based on Matariki, I'm making sure it doesn't go to the ground with me. There's going to be a lot more people that know, and a lot more people that want to know more,” says Jack.

The hikoi is the first in a series of events Te Puna i Rangiriri Trust is hosting as part of their Matariki Ki Mauao Festival.

The Trust has a jam-packed week of events leading up to the first official Matariki public holiday on Friday, June 24, including school workshops, an open community day, and the launch of a new Ātea-ā-Rangi on the summit of Mauao.

The Matariki Ki Mauao Festival is proudly supported by Tauranga City Council and TECT's Kaupapa Māori Legacy Event Fund. This fund supports reoccurring events that celebrate tikanga Māori and tangata whenua in Tauranga Moana.

The festival is also supported by Te Arawhiti and Tauranga Iwi, to ensure that knowledge based on Matariki is authentically supported regionally, within New Zealand.

The festival is part of the Matariki Tauranga Moana 2022 programme which features over 40 workshops, exhibitions, family events and more. To view the full programme of events, visit www.mymatariki.co.nz.