Northport 'goes dark' for Matariki

June 24, 2022

We're one of Te Tai Tokerau’s largest and busiest commercial sites. We were looking for a way to mark Matariki and decided that one of the ways we could do so would be to ‘go dark’ for several hours before sunrise today - the day that the nation celebrates Matariki, our new national holiday.

The port site is normally lit during the hours of darkness by many giant overhead lights that make it possible for port operations to take place whenever they are needed. Today, at 5am, these lights were switched off to reduce the amount of light around our facility and help local people look out at the Matariki cluster (although the weather wasn't great for that!). The lights stayed off until daylight, when they are normally switched off anyway. We did this as a mark of deep respect for Matariki, our community and te ao Māori, and we wish everyone in Te Tai Tokerau and across Aotearoa New Zealand a happy and peaceful Matariki surrounded by friends and family.

Manawatia ā Matariki!