Matariki Stars 2026Te Kāhui o Matariki · the gathering
Te Waka o Rangi
The celestial canoe. Matariki gathers at the prow, Tautoru forms the stern, and Puanga rises to the west — a peer marker of equal weight in the sky.
Matariki
Pōhutukawa
Tipuānuku
Tipuārangi
Waitī
Waitā
Waipunarangi
Ururangi
Hiwa-i-te-rangi
Tautoru · the stern
Puanga · peer
Te Waka o Rangi · the celestial canoe
MatarikiwellbeingThe mother star — the pathway to human wellbeing and health.
PōhutukawaremembranceCarries those who have passed since the last rising.
Tipuānukufood · soilFood grown in the earth; the harvest that ends as Matariki sets.
Tipuārangiforests · birdsFood from the sky — birds, fruit and berries of the ngahere.
Waitīfresh waterRivers, streams and lakes, and the creatures within them.
Waitāthe seaThe ocean — its tides, floodwaters and kai.
WaipunarangirainRain — the water that pools in the sky and on the land.
UrurangiwindsDetermines the nature of the winds for the year.
Hiwa-i-te-rangiaspirationsThe wishing star — our hopes and desires for the season.
Puangapeer markerRises with Matariki for many rohe — equal in the sky.