Murchison community will come together to look to the stars this Matariki, when the Buller Gorge Swing Bridge turns into a night-time celebration of light, history and whānau.
Rebecca Hockey and her family, the new owners of the iconic swing bridge site, are hosting the Matariki event on Friday, 10 July, using the region’s famously clear skies to create a unique experience in the gorge.
“It’s a way of bringing the community to our special little spot,” Rebecca says. “We know when you come here on an evening, the night sky in the Buller Gorge is incomparable. You can lose yourself for hours looking up at the stars. It’s a really good location to view the Matariki stars.”
The event follows a busy first summer for Rebecca and her family, who took over the attraction in mid-December.
“We had a great first summer, a fantastic summer, with lots of learning on the go.”
Rebecca’s connection to the site began years earlier, when she brought her long-running coffee cart business to the gorge in 2019 after leaving Richmond.
“We bought a property here as a bach in 2019 so were coming down for weekends and holidays and in mid-2019 we started going ‘gosh we’d love to live here’.
“We approached the manager at the swing bridge and asked, ‘would you like coffee cart’.”
That move came after nearly 20 years running her coffee cart in Sundial Square.
“We relocated with five kids. It was 100% right move.”
Now settled, Rebecca says the focus is on building a family-friendly tourism experience that connects visitors with the landscape and its stories.
Central to that is the history of the 1929 White Creek earthquake, which reshaped the region.
“The actual impact point was here at the swing bridge; you can see where the plates shifted.”
She says the site provides a rare opportunity for people to see those geological changes up close, with visible land shifts and terraces formed by the quake.
“What we’re busy doing is uncovering the landscape, we are doing a lot of scrub clearing so you can visualise the impact.”
The Matariki event also reflects that blend of past and present.
“We feel too, that the concept of Matariki being a newly recognised stat holiday. It’s a new year but it’s also about honouring our past and honouring our traditions and how we filter that into our everyday lives.”
As a family-run business, Rebecca says that connection to tradition is key.
“We’re a family business. And Matariki is about honouring tradition of family.”
From 4pm, visitors can expect a relaxed, community-focused evening, with lights strung across the bridge, hot drinks, simple food and entertainment.
“We will have lots of fairy lights, we intend to light up the bridge.”
There will be hot coffee and a barbie for the sausage and bread or soup.
One of the highlights will be the Comet Line ride, running for the first two hours.
“In honour of the night sky we are going to try our best to do a comet tail so as the comet line comes across the river, there will be a comet tail of light behind it.”
Rebecca says access will be managed for safety, with the wider park closing to general exploration from 4pm, but she encourages people to arrive early to explore.
Entry has also been adjusted to make the event accessible.
“If you come for the Matariki event its free admission for kids under 14, and free for anyone purchasing a ride. Otherwise, we have dropped prices extensively for event.”
Ultimately, Rebecca hopes the night will bring people together.
“We want it be a success and we want to bring the community together.”
