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Hundreds of people turned out for Dunedin’s annual Matariki Ahuka Nui dawn ceremony at Otago Museum this morning.
Matariki marks the start of a new year for Maori and is a time of reflection for the previous 12 months and a chance to look ahead.
The crowd forsook a public holiday lie-in for an early start (6.45am) to enjoy a giant digital projection on the side of the museum building.
The event is a collaboration between mana whenua and the Dunedin City Council, and council Māori partnerships and policy general manager Jeanette Wikaira said it had become an important event on the city’s calendar.
"It’s a special time to come together, to collectively pause and reflect on all that Matariki holds for us as individuals and as a community."
Dunedin’s other major Matariki event — Mana Moana — will be held at the Steamer Basin, between 5.30pm and 8.30pm today, tomorrow and Sunday.
The repeating 45-minute show will offer a mix of new films by local, national and international indigenous artists, projected on to a water screen in Otago Harbour.