Mānawatia a Matariki ... Happy Māori New Year!
New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki today, a time for remembrance, celebrating the present and looking to the future. This year's theme is Matariki Kāinga Hokia, or Matariki calls you home. People are encouraged to return to their whānau and loved ones, wherever and whoever that might be. To journey home to celebrate, feast and be with whānau and friends.
Circumstances have not been ideal to view the rising of the Matariki star cluster, with the wet weather we're constantly having! There is a chance of clear weather first thing on Saturday and Sunday mornings though, so you might be able to see Matariki, which rises around 5.30am. Te Papa Museum has a great video showing you how to find the Matariki star cluster. You can check it out at youtu.be...
The Saint Johns Butchery store will be CLOSED today (Friday), so our team can return to their whānau and loved ones for the day. We'll be open for business as usual on Saturday and Sunday. Our opening hours this long weekend:
Friday ... CLOSED
Saturday ... 8.00am - 6.00pm
Sunday ... 8.30am - 5.00pm
Mānawatia a Matariki ... Happy Māori New Year!
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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5% Second half of November
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43.3% 1st December
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16.7% A week before Christmas
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33.5% Whenever you wish
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
The Neighbourhood’s Brainiest: Can YOU Solve Today’s Riddle?
You see a boat filled with people.
It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat.
Why?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.