Community Matariki Celebration to Honour Culture and Conservation in Puketī Ngahere
Where? Puketī Forest campsite (1715 Waiare Road)Bring a torch 
, sturdy shoes 
, and warm clothesThere will be night walks, activities, hot food and a campfire 
People across Te Tai Tokerau and beyond are invited to a special evening of naturing and whakanui (celebration),
A community Matariki celebration will take place in Puketī ngahere at the DoC Campsite on 9 July from 4 pm to 8 pm, bringing together culture, conservation, and whānau. Co-organized by the Puketī Forest Trust alongside the Department of Conservation (DOC) and other regional partners, the event marks a milestone in the Trust’s long-standing partnership with DOC to restore the precious local rohe (region).
The event will feature an array of educational and recreational activities for all ages. Attendees can enjoy a BBQ, storytelling around a campfire, traditional weaving lessons, microscope viewing, and virtual reality sets. The evening will also include guided nature walks featuring glow worms, magical fairy lights, and rides on an old army Unimog to and from the Manginangina Kauri Walk to view an illuminated kauri tree.
For local farmer and Puketī Forest Trust Chair Gary Bramley, the event holds special significance.
“As a part-time farmer, who mostly farms in the dark, Matariki always gives me hope that the days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and kōanga (spring) is on the way,” Gary says. “This time of year can be our wettest, but Matariki reminds me it won’t last forever. It’s a date that deserves to be celebrated.”
“Our partnership with DOC has been a long ‘marriage’, and like any longstanding relationship, there are ups and downs, but we are probably in the strongest place we have ever been. It is both gratifying and humbling to be supported by the department to the extent we are currently.”
The Trust invites everyone from Te Tai Tokerau and beyond to gather, celebrate the flourishing forest, and look forward to the journey ahead together.
