SunLive - Pāpāmoa’s Matariki light magic

Pāpāmoa residents are enjoying the winter magic of their local waterways as volunteers transformed the area once again this year into a giant storyboard of light for Matariki.

Pāpāmoa’s “Light up the waterway” Te Ara ō Wairākei Matariki 2024 had a huge turnout of people on Friday evening, June 28, delighting Pāpāmoa Unlimited’s coordinator Julia Manktelow.

“It was so special! We had a massive crowd of over 35,000 again, and just nestled around our whenua,” says Julia.

The stormwater and trails provided a lighted course of 1.6km, starting from Pāpāmoa Plaza, and took participants through a walking story of Matariki.

Light up the waterway 2024 | Waite from James Wharton on Vimeo.

“The event was fantastic, and the light display simply amazing,” says Heather McLean on a Facebook post.

“As a new arrival to this area it was an amazing journey to be taken on with my family,” says Mandy Blake. “Thanks to all who took part, helped, directed traffic, set up, had a part to play. It was an amazing event. Thank you.”

Aerial photo of the Pāpāmoa waterways and Matariki trail. Photo: Supplied.

Ann Marie Nisbet took her 86-year-old father along the trail in his wheelchair.

“He loved it, thank you,” wrote Ann Marie on Facebook.

“It was strictly one way only, and red zones were manned with security and out of bounds,” says Julia.

Thousands of people came out to walk the trail around the waterways. Photo: Supplied.

Volunteers and supporters along the trail wore hi-vis vests, with three stops at the Pāpāmoa Plaza tent, Santa Monica Drive, and the My Ride tent which was set up about halfway around the course.

Julia says this year she built the trail around Nga Maunga Tohora and had giant storyboards which told the story of the three whales Kopukairoa, Mangatawa and Hikurangi, which the three hills in Pāpāmoa west are named for.

Images of the whales along the footbridge. Photo: Supplied.

Maori legend tells the story of the mother whale Mangatawa and child Hikurangi getting stranded in Rangataua Bay and, after becoming tired and thirsty, drank from a magic spring that turned them to stone.

The mother and baby lie at the edge of Rangataua Bay, while father whale Kopukairoa, who came looking for them and drank from the spring, then turned to stone and is nestled behind them.

The whales were rendered in drawings attached to the bridge, reflecting down onto the water below.

Images of the whales along the footbridge at night. Photo: Supplied.

Signs erected around the waterways were about Matariki and told the story of the three whales Kopukairoa, Mangatawa and Hikurangi. Photo: Supplied.

“We had Hikurangi the waka created by Pāpāmoa College students, and I built an image of Tahuwhakatiki marae and projected it across the waterway towards the maunga,” says Julia.

She says she’s proud of the relationship built with Nga Potiki a Tamapahore Trust who opened the evening at 5pm with a welcome.

“It was so special,” says Julia. “Colin Reeder and Spencer Webster opened the ceremony with a blessing followed by kapahaka from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Otepou and Te Akau Ki Pāpāmoa primary. Both just mesmerized the audience.

The stage performances went from 5pm - 8.10pm. Photo: Supplied.

Stage performances continued for three hours until 8.10pm and featured Chanelle Davis, Hydro Hayley, Rise Dance Company, Promise Royal, Amaleigh Miss Teen New Zealand Ambassador 2024, Grant Haua, Sonorous and Ria Hall.

“We had a beautiful performance from Promise Royal who sung waita. Grant Haua also rocked our stage with Sonorous who just drew the crowds in masses before Ria Hall ended the ceremony with a beautiful waiata.

The light trail closed at 10pm.