Matariki will be celebrated as a public holiday for just the second time tomorrow.
A lot has been done by communities across the motu to help lift the profile of the Maori New Year, but are New Zealanders now more aware of its significance and meaning?
Professor Rangi Mātāmua is Aotearoa's foremost expert on Matariki, and a chief advisor to the government.
He spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.