275 Times March 2017

I work long hours and my
husband works nights, so we do
big weekend cook-ups in hāngi
pots and freeze them. The kids
get meals out of the freezer
in the morning to defrost and
heat them up in the evening,
so we can all eat together.
Reducing & reusing
Because we grow our own
veges, we only need to go to
the supermarket once a month.
We buy in bulk, which also cuts
down on packaging. We look out
for notifications on Facebook or
Neighbourly from local schools
or kindys collecting packaging
for craft, and make use of our
networks in the community.
Our family spends a lot of
time at the Māngere Mountain
Education Centre, and we have
to practice reducing, reusing
and recycling there as well.
Healthy outcomes
Our main motivation for living
this way has been for personal
health reasons. We have allergies,
eczema, asthma, hay fever, lupus
and lactose intolerance in our
family, so we have to cook our own
food to control what we’re eating.
I’m also concerned about how
we’re ruining our environment
by burying our waste and
dumping it. Having lived in the
South Island, I’ve seen that it’s
possible to have beautiful, clean
spaces to play and swim in, if we
look after what’s around us.
My eldest daughter has really
inspired our whole family to get
on board with reducing waste,
as a result of her experiences
volunteering at the recycle
centre in Invercargill. It’s a
family thing. You need to
start when your children
are young so it’s normal for
them, and make it fun!”
ANE’S
TOP
TIPS
HOW TO MAKE
LESS RUBBISH
AT HOME...
1. Cook 2. Recycle
3. Grow some of your own
food 4. Use real dishes for
functions 5. Have separate
bins with labels 6. Get the
whole family involved.
FONUA: The climate
can change – can we?
A uniquely Polynesian call
to action, Fonua is a largescale
theatre production
that addresses the challenge
of climate change from the
perspective of some of the
world’s most affected nations.
Using song, dance, chanting
and physical performance,
the one-hour
show reminds us
that a global
crisis requires
a shift from
individualism
to collective
action.
MARAMATAKA:
March 2017
by Ayla Hoeta
Can you believe it's March
already? We’re now in the fifth
phase of summer, which is called
Matiti Raurehu. This is when
you get a lot more moisture in
the mornings. Sometimes it’s
like a white dew that covers
the ground – although this
phenomenon has been almost
absent for the last two years.
The sixth phase, Matiti Rautapata,
will start around the time of the
full moon. During this phase
the seed pods burst open and
kauri trees drop their cones.
At the end of summer, you’ll
see the leaves dancing as they
fall to the forest floor. This is
called Matiti Rauangina.
In March, Te Rakaunui, the highest
energy day, falls on the 12th. This
is a great day to get things done!
The new tide brings new energy
GET YOUR FREE TICKET
FONUA: 8pm*, 11 & 12 March
Māngere Arts Centre (corner
Bader Drive and Orly Ave)
Cost: FREE (Reserve your
seats through Eventfinda)
Fonua is co-produced by
the Auckland Arts Festival,
supported through the
Auckland Diversity
Project Fund and part
of the Auckland Arts
Festival Whānui
programme.
*Please arrive at
7:30pm for an
8pm start.
and you’ll feel productive and
ready to do it all on this day.
Key planting and fishing days
are 19–21 March. These days
are Tangaroa a mua, Tangaroa
a roto and Tangaroa kiokio.
The Oike day, which is best
for weeding and tidying
the garden, is 15 March.
To set your dial, check the
date of the full moon (13
March). Then turn the small
blue circle until the number
‘12’ lines up with ‘Rakaunui’
on the big orange circle.
Next month we reach the last
phases of summer – Matiti
Rauangina – and move into
the autumn months.
I hope you are enjoying your
maramataka read. If you would
like a maramataka dial visit
275 Times on Facebook. And
if you have any questions
contact me ayla.hoeta@
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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