A new Matariki event aims to light up the shoreline from Cape Kidnappers to Tāngoio.
Plans are underway to set the Napier-Hastings shoreline alight for Matariki, with hopes it will become an annual tradition.
Organised in conjunction with local iwi Ngati Kahungunu, Matariki Mahuika, or Home Fires, encourages people to go to the beach and light their own fires in a bid to light up the coastline from Cape Kidnappers to Tāngoio.
Named for Mahuika, the goddess of fire, the event is planned for 15 July.
Organiser Neill Gordon told Checkpoint the event was an attempt to get the community together – while making use of excessive amounts of driftwood washed up during Cyclone Gabrielle.
Gordon said that while the event might sound “a bit wild and crazy”, lighting fires on the beach occurred every year during Guy Fawkes.
“You come to Napier-Hastings in November you’ll see exactly that heading down the beach, fires every twenty feet,” he said. “This is a much better time to be doing something like this.”
Gordon described Matariki Mahuika as a “DIY event”, but people were asked to register by emailing matchfitnz@gmail.com – which would ensure they received safety information and updates about the event.
Attendees were also advised to check FENZ’s Check It’s Alright website before lighting any fires.
