The sun is back and pohutukawa are in bloom all over Aotearoa New Zealand. The distinct red flowers flourish every year at this time. They are always spectacular but this summer’s blossoms have been even more so - botanists call it a ‘mast seeding’ event. Prolific flowering followed by the production of huge amounts of seeds. Pohutukawa are
special to Māori as a signal of the return of Hine Raumati, the goddess of summer. They feature in our stories and as the saying goes, when the Pohutukawa are in bloom the kina (sea urchins) are FAT! Fresh fruit, vegetables and seafood are available in abundance right now and it is the perfect time for an NZ road trip!
It is a busy summer for those of us working in the tourism industry. After the closures and lockdowns of the covid pandemic, the NZ borders are now open and tourists are returning in large numbers.
My sister, Ama and I are both freelancing as tour guides for overseas and local companies during this busy summer season. We are also planning to re-launch our family business Glorious Inc., with some exciting international tours locked in for 2024.
We are proud to be Māori and to live and work in Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland, the largest Polynesian city in the world. Manaakitanga (hospitality) is very important to us. We feel blessed to guide visitors from all over the world to experience what we have in Aotearoa NZ and to be connected to us as the first people of this land.
2024 is the Year of the Dragon and everyone is focused on what the next 12 months will bring. Those of us who follow the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) are now half-way through our year. Summer is the time to work and we are manifesting the plans we made during Matariki (Māori new year) back in July.
Our Glorious goal this year is to be our own bosses and to get paid to do what we love - incorporating travel, events, publicity and beauty services. We are also making the most of opportunities for hosting, speaking, blogging, and we aim to create our own podcast. We have our entrepreneur hats on as we hustle to make our dreams a reality.
This month is Te Waru o Rehua - the 8th month that belongs to Rehua. The constellation Rehua (Antares-the red heart of Scorpio) is currently rising with the sun and can be seen on the horizon before sunrise. According to New Zealander of the Year Dr. Rangi Matamua, the bright red star of Rehua is an important Māori deity and holds dominion over the summer season. “Rehua brings the heat of this time of year and there are a number of phrases connected to Rehua and warm weather,” he said.
“Ko Rehua kei te patu” is a very Māori way of saying ‘it is hot!’
“Kua tahu a Rehua” means ‘Rehua has ignited the heat of summer.’
The pohutukawa are very similar to ‘Lehua’ flowers found in Hawai’i and I like to think of the ancestors coming here from Hawai’i and seeing the Pohutukawa that reminded them of their beloved Lehua. There must be a link between the Lehua blossoms in Hawai’i and the red flowers in Aotearoa NZ that bloom in abundance during the rise of the summer constellation Rehua.
Our Glorious website has a new look and we are now taking expressions of interest for upcoming tours to the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hawai’i in April, the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, USA in July and the Teuila Festival in Samoa in September. After much demand, we are also putting together “Glorious Auckland” half-day and full-day tours sharing all our favourite places in this city that we know and love.
Ama and I are both on tour now in NZ with our eyes on the road and our minds on the future! Just like the beautiful pohutukawa flowers - we are blooming as we create our own glorious period of abundance.
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