Matariki Mahuika Beach Fires

Free

The simple magic of gathering with friends around a fire on the beach is the heart of Matariki Mahuika.

On Saturday July 11, many thousands will take their mates, their mokos and their marshmallows and meet around small fires on the Hawke’s Bay coast and other spots around Aotearoa.

Since 2023, the region has celebrated Matariki with DIY fires dotted from Cape Kidnappers to Nuhaka.
Sharing the warmth is what it’s all about, with friends and whānau coming together, looking after the beach and those around them, talking to strangers and inviting people in to enjoy the flames.

The focus of the event in Napier will be from 4pm til 9pm around the Spirit of Napier statue, just south of the National Aquarium. Twenty-four food trucks will be on site and entertainment will include storytelling, music and fire artists.

One of the hugely popular aspects of the event is the opportunity to write remembrance or healing messages on Waka Maimai Aroha lanterns, which are then floated in the fountain. The many hundreds of people writing messages to loved ones has meant the lanterns have to be floated in batches, scheduled for 7pm and 8pm this year. The lanterns are later burned and the messages symbolically carried as smoke to the stars.

Parking will be available on the grass foreshore south of the Spirit of Napier.

Matariki Mahuika, organised by Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc, was an immediate hit with the public since it was introduced following Cyclone Gabrielle when 20,000 people attended. It has always been supported by Fire and Emergency New Zealand - which says there is zero fire risk in midwinter.

This year Napier City Council is partnering with Ngāti Kahungunu for the event. The council’s contributions include an installation of nine Matariki stars and gas flames suspended by crane above the stage.

The night is named after Mahuika, the Goddess of fire.

People heading to the beach to light a fire should bear a few things in mind.

It is a ‘people-powered’ DIY kind of event, so not a case of ‘organised’ fires, but rather people heading to the beach on July 11, taking their marshmallows and guitar or whatever they need . . . lighting their fire, welcoming people in and putting their fire out before they go.

The event is not so much about the fires themselves as it is the people standing around them: Matariki hunga nui - Matariki, the gatherer of people. It's an opportunity for people to gather up some friends, colleagues, whanau, head to their favourite spot at the beach and, while doing their own thing, be part of something much larger – a community-wide celebration.

Bring what you need - such as matches and newspaper to get your fire started - but please don’t bring material to the beach to burn. One thing people should never burn at the beach are pallets, which leave behind 60 to 100 nails per pallet - no one wants that on the beach.

Don’t light a fire bigger than you can extinguish at the end of the night. When you do leave the beach, don’t cover the fire - which creates a danger for people and wildlife - but, ideally, extinguish it with water or break it apart.

Please don’t put non-burnables like cans or bottles in the fire, which creates a hazard on the beach. Take any rubbish home with you and if you see other rubbish nearby, take that too.

The goal is to leave the beach in a better state than previously.

A beach clean-up led by Mana Ahuriri Trust will begin from the National Aquarium carpark at 9am the next morning, Sunday July 12. All are welcome to come help clear the beach of rubbish.

Key concepts for Matariki Mahuika are manaakitanga - hospitality, kindness and generosity – and kaitiakitanga – taking care of the environment.

That means inviting people in to share the warmth of your fire, sharing kai, looking after your fire the whole time and putting it out before you go.

Anyone considering lighting a fire should consult www.Checkitsalright.nz