Practicing Māori methods of observation at Motupapa

Before I embark on the incredible adventure of Antarctic fieldwork, I spent the last few months practicing my observational skills at Motupapa – our family homestead where my grandparents and three uncles all reside, in Takahiwai, Whangārei district.

Averaging two mornings a week, I raced against Tamanui-te-rā (the Sun) to observe heliacal star constellations and the moon before sunrise, and then of course the sun as it came up over Mt Manaia on the eastern horizon. Using my camera, I captured the phenology of flora and fauna at Motupapa, commonly seeing tōrea-pango (oystercatcher), kakīānau (black swan), kōtuku-ngutupapa (spoonbill) and pūtangitangi (paradise duck).

Notice below how the first image shows the sun rising on the far left of Manaia [approx. Aug 9 2025], and the next image shows the sun rising on the far right [approx. Sept 14 2025]. This is considered a ‘tohu’ of the season because the rising sun traverses between northeast (winter solstice) and southeast (summer solstice), twice appearing due east in between (spring and autumn equinox).