Winter Solstice 2025

Chicken & Vegetable Soup at our recent team hui.

Turou ora mai - Welcome to our Winter Solstice Newsletter

This newsletter arrives on a significant day and time of the year here in Aotearoa. Winter Solstice falling on 21st June brings the shortest day and longest night of the year and the sighting of Matariki and Puanga stars signals the Māori New Year. We acknowledge the traditions and practices associated these astronomical events that have guided our ancestors for generations.

Here are some things that the PVA crew are doing to celebrate and embrace Winter Solstice, Pīpiri - Winter and Te Mātahi o te Tau - Māori New Year.

Bonfire or gathering with friends and whānau
Remembering those who have passed, acknowledging our loss and aroha
Celebrating our mahi when we are together
Making a big pot of hearty soup for hui
Embracing the refreshing air of Pīpiri with nature walks
Star gazing
Learning pūrākau (myth, ancient legend, story)
Checking out local Matariki Events
Garden Planning

As usual the PVA crew have had a full season of mahi. Hui, workshops, stalls, garden mahi, planning, connecting… aligning ourselves with Maramataka we celebrate all that we have achieved in the past year. Some highlights included becoming a legal entity (a year to date!), the MANAVA for Climate Resilience website went live and our youth were recognised for their waste diversion efforts at the Zero Waste Awards in Hiringa-ā-nuku (approximately equivalent to October).

We would like to thank you for your support and if you have come to one of our workshops or stalls Malo ‘aupito - thank you for taking time to learn with us.

Enjoy the offerings that this day, marama and season brings.

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori.

Read on to hear about our mahi and projects and upcoming events!

Wed, May 28

Ancestral Intelligence: Mama Luffa

Almost every household you know has one hanging in their bathroom and in the kitchen - a plastic loofah to wash your body and a scourer to scrub-a-dub dishes.

Sat, Jun 07

Celebrating 50 years of ASB Polyfest

We celebrated 50 years of ASB Polyfest this year by bringing all of ourselves, an epic stall, an engaging activity and a composting initiative that showcased the breadth of Pacific Vision Aotearoa.

Sat, Jun 07

Grow to Share Wānanga

A simple act of dropping off some vegetable seedlings to a church in Ōtara in 2019 was the start of the ‘Grow to Share’ project.

Sun, Jun 15

Hue Learning Journey

PVA kaimahi are a busy bunch, with projects, workshops and day to day support on the ground. Occasionally we get to a hui or wānanga to upskill, connect, share and replenish our mauri.

Upcoming Events

Click on event for more info and to register

Is your whānau and whare ready for a climate event or emergency? MANAVA for Climate Resilience has information, tips and checklists to help you get prepared. Check them out on Facebook, Instagram or their website.

Winter Solstice - shortest day and longest night of the year

The winter solstice is an astronomical event when the earth’s axis is tilted the furthest point from the sun. This results in the least sunlight, making it the shortest day and longest night of the year.

Ka ara mai a Matariki, ka ara mai Puanga, ka Mānawatia Puanga, ka Mānawatia a Matariki -

Matariki rises, Puanga rises, celebrate Puanga, celebrate Matariki

Across different regions, iwi may acknowledge different stars to signify Te Mātahi o te Tau - The Māori New Year. For some regions the sighting of Matariki marks the new year, for others it is Puanga.

Te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori New Year

It signals a time to remember those who have passed, celebrate the present and plan for the future.

Pīpiri - first lunar month of the Māori New Year

Pīpiri is when Matariki (the star cluster) becomes visible, signifying the start of the new year. Pīpiri also means 'cling together' due to the cold.