Matariki Kite Day

[vilakins]

Yesterday as part of the Maori midwinter festival Matariki, there was a Kite Day held on Bastion Point which belongs to the local iwi (tribe), Ngāti Whātua. As it was a stunningly beautiful winter's day, we decided to go. There were some amazing and huge kites, all based on sea creatures.

We had to park partway up the hill and walk up.


This is what we saw as we got closer to the top.


This is what we could see looking back: the harbour glittering in the sun. That's North Head, the end of the Devonport peninsula.


Turning to the right, I could see the Savage Memorial (for the first Labour Prime Minister of NZ, Michael Joseph Savage) which has gardens and a great view out over the harbour.


A view of Devonport from further up the hill, showing Mt Victoria and North Head.


Stingray kite! It takes in air through a slit in its mouth and those gills underneath it.


Another stingray!? I'm not sure which sea creature this one is but it had a wonderful spiky tail which looked almost alive, the way it whipped about.


At the top of the hill is the iwi's marae (centre of Maori cultural and social life).


The marae was open for visitors and there were quite a few tourists and locals, especially while the breeze had dropped.


Waka under cover in the grounds.


They were running workshops in how to make traditional Maori flax kites, but there wasn't enough wind to fly them.


The breeze came up a bit so we went back to the kites. Paul the Octopus and a squid friend!


Beached turtle they were trying to get back in the air.


Kites with Maori decorations


The breeze picked up more as we left and there were some kites flying I hadn't seen before.


And this is why Auckland is the "City of Sails". Taken from the car as we drove down from where we parked.

It was a gorgeous day and not that cold in the sun, but wow, it was cold last night. It got down to 4C.

Comments

[zoefruitcake]

wow, they are fantastic. love the stingray

[vilakins]

Thanks! I'm very pleased at how they came out. I could hardly see the viewer in the bright sunlight.

[vandonovan.livejournal.com]

What a gorgeous bunch of pictures, and an amazing collection of kites. I've never seen anything like them. So creative and colorful and neat. :D And against such a vibrant blue sky!! I love that your grass is all green still, despite it being winter. And all those sailboats!! Just amazing. I'd love to see more photos of those. GO BACK AND TAKE MORE! Ahahaha.

THanks for sharing these, what a treat :D

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I hadn't seen kites like those big ones before either! We have a standard delta wing each, like the Maori ones, but we didn't take them as there was hardly any breeze.

But now is when the grass is so green! It can get very dry and brown in summer.

You want photos of yachts? I can get plenty in Auckland, esp on Regatta days. I used to go sailing with a friend on hers a lot too, but she sold it.

[kindkit.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous--both the kites and the landscape.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It was am amazing day, both for the kites and the weather! I'm very pleased with the photos as I could hardly see the viewer in the bright sunlight.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Stunning photographs! Thanks for sharing them.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

:-D I'm glad you liked them. I was very pleased with them.

[nautile26.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a perfect day for the festival. The kites are amazing and your pics are just great. :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It was almost windless so a little more breeze would have made it perfect. It was like that again yesterday and is today; I wouldn't mind winter so much if this was more common.

[kernezelda]

Beautiful pictures! What neat kites, and what a gorgeous land/seascape.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It all looks its best in this weather.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

You have such wonderful light - even in midwinter!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

On days like this, we do! It's the third beautiful clear day today and I'd like winter if there were more like this. Normally it's just dull and grey.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

OOOh, how beautiful! What colors! What a glorious day.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It was a gorgeous day, and we have another today, third in a row! They're not that common in winter, but I love them.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

The kites are great they look like they are swimming in the sky.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They do! I was very pleased as usually I have to take photos against clouds, but there were none.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

The kites are brilliant, aren't they, and you've caught them beautifully - as you have the views across the harbour. It was a gorgeous light and sky! Than you for posting them.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I was very pleased with how the photos came out, especially since it was often hard to see the viewer in the sun.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing this interesting festival! We can see the Pleiades and surprisingly even I can remember this constellation - I have problems to visualise the 3 d objects. A very nice Maori fesival indeed!
Fantastic kites and oh, I liked the marae and these beautiful carvings.
Lovely country, green and blue!!!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

The kites are like flying air mattresses, capturing the air with leading holes or slits. I've never seen ones like that before either.

Yes, like my icon!

[alicambs.livejournal.com]

Stunning pictures and the kites... wow! Showed hubby the photos and he was duly impressed. Pity we missed it. :-)

Preperations underway as I write.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

This is the first ti,e we've seen it! I think Matariki celebrations are really just starting to get more widely known.

[luinielle.livejournal.com]

Those are absolutely gorgeous photos! Those kites are really amazing, so colourful and large. It must have been breathtaking to see them all in the air. I really like the ones with the Maori designs.
Your grass is so green in winter - it's like that out in northern California where my parents currently live. Grass is green in winter and brown in summer.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's what it's like here if we have a dry summer. That grass was pretty squishy in places; my shoes and jeans got very muddy.