Media Release: Wednesday 19 June 2019

De Molen shines bright colours on Matariki stargazers

Foxton’s Water Tower casts its impressive multi-coloured lightshow far into the distance, every night of the week, greeting the cars on State Highway One that zoom past town.

On Thursday 27 June, windmill De Molen will put on a similarly brilliant show – welcoming a group of stargazers from the Horowhenua Astronomical Society who will gather at its base, to celebrate Matariki.

“We want to make it a special night, for the enthusiasts who come to check out the twinkling stars of the night sky,” says Johnny Langen, the Miller of De Molen. “This will be a first, for us and the stargazers.”

“By splashing some morphing reds, blues and purples onto a shiny windmill, we’ll give the entire scene some brightly festive hues.”

The stargazing event starts at 7pm, in the Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park.

“Matariki is a great occasion to bring people together, throughout Horowhenua,” says Civic & Community Events Coordinator Melissa Steedman, from Horowhenua District Council.

“We organised this night in Foxton to mark the midwinter point, and celebrate the Māori start of the New Year. To keep everybody nice and warm, we will serve hot chocolate with marshmallows. And we’re inviting all the stargazers out there to come and join us and bring their telescopes.”

Council has also organised a number of other activities to mark Matariki, including:

• Saturday 22 June: Master carver Heemi Te Peeti demonstrates traditional Ta Moko and carving. In Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, from 2pm-4pm.

• Sunday 23 June: The movie Moana in Te Reo Māori.
In Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, at midday.

• Friday 28 June: Concert by the Modern Māori Quartet.
In Levin’s Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-po. Doors open at 6.30pm. Tickets are $20 from any Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō in Levin, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton, or the Shannon Library. Tickets can also be purchased online through Eventbrite.

For further information and more Matariki events, visit www.tetakere.org.nz/Events-Activities and www.teawahou.com/Whats-On.

PLEASE NOTE: In case of an overcast sky – the event may be postponed

ENDS

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