Eighteen-year-old Charlotta Trogisch has travelled from Düsseldorf, Germany to complete an internship at Top South Media. Staying with a host family while in Nelson, Charlotta headed to TeHuihuinga-o-Matariki Festival at Saxton Stadium on Friday to experience Matariki for the first time.Here’s what she thought of the celebration.
The first sign that the evening would be special appeared long before we reached Saxton Stadium. Cars lined the streets, every parking spot taken, with drivers circling in slow loops. For someone experiencing Matariki for the first time, the crowded scene showed how important the celebration is.
The first thing that I really noticed was the good smell. Dishes from all around were being prepared and sold. Outside on the netball courts, long lines formed in front of every stand. For me, that was proof that no matter what was being served, it was worth waiting for.
The location felt like a natural gathering point. For me, as someone who had only heard about Matariki before, it was overwhelming in the best way.
Being there with my host family made the evening nicer. They knew many people, so we ended up having conversations that made the evening feel warm and familiar. Everyone seemed so happy to be there. It was as if the whole community had decided to come together.
Outside, people walked around in shorts and Crocs, while I stood there in gloves and a winter jacket. The contrast was almost funny and stepping into the stadium was a welcome bit of warmth.
The small donation at the entrance seemed fair and completely worth it.
We arrived later, just in time to experience the performances from Tama Tū Tama Ora, the Waimea College kapa haka group, talented local singers Jokata Domoni and Naia Awatea, as well as Auckland rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer Kings.
Their performances were truly impressive and gave me an insight into Māori traditions/culture/heritage, letting me learn and experience the richness of the traditions and culture I hadn’t seen or known before.
Luckily, I even got to speak with Jokata Domoni and take a photo with him and one of his guitarist’s Jonah Hlichal. Jokata told me that he loves entertaining people, bringing joy to his audience and getting them to sing along.
“I’m just happy that the community can come together and do this. I feel like this needs to happen more because it’s always such a good vibe and a good bonding time. Actually, it’s just good for the kids and parents to bring their kids to something,” he explained.
I found myself agreeing with that statement. My host family and I enjoyed the evening fully and it was an impressive event which I’ll keep in my mind forever.
For me it was a perfect first Matariki celebration.
