Type: Free

Sail down to the New Zealand Maritime Museum this Easter Weekend for fun, FREE storytelling and crafts to entertain the kids! 
Storytelling Sessions

10:30am & 11:30am  | Free with museum entry
Meet Ella the Explorer, as she shares stories of the high seas during storytime. 

Make Days – Flying Fish
10am – 2pm | Free with museum entry
Dive into creativity and create your own flying tāmure (snapper), rāwaru (blue cod), or haku (kingfish) – fish found across New Zealand waters.

Face Painting
10:30am – 12:30pm | Free with museum entry
Transform into your favourite sea creature with our free facepainting all weekend long.

Drop ins are welcome. 

Come on an egg-citing egg hunt this Easter! Some beautifully decorated eggs have been hidden in Auckland Museum galleries. Follow the rhyming clues to hunt them down; each one contains a special letter you’ll need to complete the trail. Pop your completed entry into their special box and go into the draw to win* an egg-stravagant chocolate hamper that will delight children but alarm parents.

ENTER VIA TE AO MĀRAMA SOUTH ATRIUM

*The winning entry will be drawn on Wednesday 3 April, and the winner must be able to collect their prize from the Museum within two weeks of notification.

Come on an egg-citing egg hunt this Easter! Some beautifully decorated eggs have been hidden in Auckland Museum galleries. Follow the rhyming clues to hunt them down; each one contains a special letter you’ll need to complete the trail. Pop your completed entry into their special box and go into the draw to win* an egg-stravagant chocolate hamper that will delight children but alarm parents.

ENTER VIA TE AO MĀRAMA SOUTH ATRIUM

*The winning entry will be drawn on Wednesday 3 April, and the winner must be able to collect their prize from the Museum within two weeks of notification.

Come and join a group of friendly locals restoring and looking after Wainoni Park.

Friends of Wainoni Park meet every Thursday morning from mid February until mid-December (we often have breaks over the school holidays). There is a range of tasks to suit a variety of fitness levels. This is a great opportunity to meet others while caring for Greenhithe’s environment.

Activities include:

-Releasing recently planted and established native trees from pest plants (weeds)
-Preparing areas for native plants
-Planting native plants
-Spreading mulch around native plantings
-Pest control
-Looking after the community edible garden
-Removing rubbish from the park
-Carrying out wildlife surveys
-Getting fit whilst forming new friendships.

Please bring a cold drink, sunhat and wear shoes with a good grip.
Long sleeves and trousers are required for some of the activities. Morning tea is supplied.

For more information and to register email  gctnicola@gmail.com

Friends of Wainoni Park is a Greenhithe Community Trust initiative. This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council.

Explore how you can contribute to a cleaner, greener South and East Auckland at the Beautification Trust Open Day! Discover their mission to connect and empower communities to learn, love and look after the environment.

You’ll get the chance to tour their facilities including the innovative Manurewa Community Recycling Centre, our nurturing community garden, our amazing Community Tool Library and the creative hub of the Boomer Shed. Check out the Repair Cafe while you’re here, and screen-print your own unique, zero waste EcoFest merch with pre-loved garments from the Reuse Store!

Engage with the dedicated team and volunteers, learn about the diverse and impactful mahi we do, and explore the various volunteer opportunities available, from hands-on activities in the Boomer Shed to artistic and environmental projects.

To get you started on your sustainability journey, they will also be offering participants some free liquid compost to take home thanks to our friends at Auckland Council and the new Food Scraps Collection service.

Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, keen on community involvement, or simply curious about our work, this Open Day is a fantastic opportunity to get involved and make a difference. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing our vision for a sustainable future.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Get hands-on in the bush this EcoFest, with Restore Hibiscus and Bays. At the end of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, just before Shakespear Regional Park is this beautiful coastal esplanade reserve. RHB has teamed up with some local residents to take out the invasive weeds and restore the natural habitat. More natural habitat means there is more chance that the rare native species of birds, lizards and insects that reside within the sanctuary of Shakespear may be able to spread their wings and move along the peninsula into this reserve. Already, one of the volunteers has heard a tīeke/saddleback in this area which is pretty exciting. See you there!

WHERE: Meet at the reserve entrance next to 156 Pacific Parade.
WHEN: This regular working bee is on the first Saturday of the month, every month 10 – 12pm.

This is a great opportunity to meet other locals interested in restoring and protecting our local environment, and to learn more about native plant and animal species and how we care for and protect them.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

On Saturday 6 April, 10am – 2pm, Nathan Homestead Pukepuke is excited to present Cultural Celebration Day! This FREE event will include a range of fun activities that celebrate the many different cultures in the community. There will be FREE cultural performances, free drop-in workshops, food trucks and booked workshops all day.

Free Cultural Performances: 10:30am – 2pm

10:30am Salsa with Coco and Fernanda
11:00am Varaveena Dance Company
11:15am Na Wahine Lokomaika’i o Ka Hula
11:30am E-PACS Lion Dance Group
12:00pm Le La o Samoa
12:30pm Hula Fit
1:00pm Auckland Southern District Chinese Association

Free Drop-In Activities: 10am – 2pm

Mini putiputi with Ahi Raranga | Calligraphy of the world: Japanese and Arabic Calligraphy | Peace collages | Niuean Weaving with MONE

Food Trucks: 10am – 2pm

Roaming Flamingo Food Truck | Smashed Potatoes NZ | Mama’s Lamulamu Delicacy

Paid Workshops: 10:30am and 1pm

K-Pop Dance workshop | Korean Kimchi workshop (FULLY BOOKED NOW)

Bring your friends, bring your whānau, come dressed in a way that celebrates your culture and join in on the fun.

Come and meet your new bike buddies at the Pakuranga Bike Hub Opposite Lloyd Elsmore Park Pool & Leisure Centre. Enjoy an extra-special open day, with free Nice Blocks and spot prizes up for grabs. Browse the ever-changing range of refurbished bikes for sale, donate your unused bikes, and discover more about our services and the expanding network of bike hubs across Auckland.

EcoMatters friendly team is ready to help you find the right bike for you or your whānau from the ever-changing selection of refurbished, safety-checked bikes for sale.  The range of products changes daily, thanks to donations, so you may discover a real treasure—it’s all part of the fun!

Got a bike that’s no longer getting any love from you? Bring it in, so EcoMatters can give it a new lease of life and pass it on to someone who will put it to good use. As a charity, selling refurbished bikes enables them to continue their work, keeps bikes out of landfills, and means more people can experience the joy of cycling.

Discover how easy it is to look after your bike, thanks to tips, advice, and free access to tools for basic maintenance; get guidance on safe local cycle routes; and find out where the other bike hubs in our network are, so you can tell your friends and whānau.

Thanks to our partner Auckland Transport for their ongoing support and to Nice Blocks for donating ice blocks (available while stocks last). This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council.

Bring your broken or damaged items and local volunteers will fix them for you at no charge! The idea is to encourage the concept of Repair-Renew-Reuse. The volunteer repairers are ready to help repair your items such as:

• Smaller furniture pieces
• Toys
• Clothing that needs fixing, darning or patching
• Small appliances (note: they are not able to repair microwaves due to safety measures)
• Laptops and other electronics

If you are happy with your repair, donations/koha is gratefully received to help fund future Repair Cafés.

This event is sponsored by: DEANZ – Doughnut Economics Advocates New Zealand, Hibiscus Coast Zero Waste, Hibiscus and Bays local board, Lotteries Commission, Foundation North and the Hibiscus Coast Community House.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Play Festival celebrates cultural identity, facilitates intercultural connections, and creates a safe and inclusive environment for people to play, interact and JUST HAVE FUN.

The purpose of the Play Festival is to bring people together to celebrate cultural identity, diversity, inclusion, friendship, integration, creativity, wellbeing, and fun in life through play.
The original vision for the Play Festival is for it to be a recurring event for the community to enjoy, participate and get involved with.

New Zealand portraits an incredible social diversity, with the coexistence of numerous community groups often characterised by ancient, fascinating culture and traditions.

In this context Auckland stands as an ideal location to host an event that could potentially grow its reputation as a reference for traditional play in the Asia Pacific region.

The Play Festival can therefore be an occasion for communities to get together, celebrate their culture, have fun, and learn about each other in a meaningful, experiential, and inclusive way.
Traditional games are part of everyone’s cultural identity, they are inter-generational and are a natural way that can bring us together without boundaries nor discrimination.

Come along to a FREE FAMILY DAY to play and explore traditional games, music and food from many different cultures! THIS IS FOR ALL AGES!

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Bring your kids for a FREE story reading Pirate Adventure at Onehunga Library! The fun & animated storyteller from Tim Bray Theatre Company will be in full costume reading an excerpt from Margaret Mahy’s The Great Piratical Rumbustification.

There will be more live readings across Auckland Libraries for the next few weeks so Tim Bray Theatre Company at these FREE events! 

Whether you have your own gardening space already or not, come and spend time outside with the locals at Surfdale Food Forest!

Share gardening knowledge, make neighbourhood connections, and increase your physical and mental wellbeing. You can also take some fresh produce home from the garden. Harvests go to the GROW stall every Saturday to increase access to affordable fresh fruit and veggies and raise funds that go back into the community gardens.

Tools provided, but BYO gloves if you have them. All ages and experience levels welcome.

Bring snacks to share for the morning tea at the end.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Join the Furoshiki Workshop and master the art of Japanese gift wrapping at Birkenhead Library at this FREE workshop run in English and Mandarin.

Furoshiki connects to the goal of living a sustainable lifestyle. An eco-friendly option and a more sustainable approach to gift-giving and packaging!

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council.

Grab a free coffee* and catch up with your parent friends, while Monty the Monkey entertains your under-fives with colouring, crafts, and more. It’s the best way to have coffee group without the mess!

Plus, Wesfield teamed up with LEGO® DUPLO® so your kids can play with thousands of bricks each time, creating and connecting anything their imagination can think of.

Monty Morning is on the second and last Wednesday of the month from 09:30AM – 12PM on level 2, near Starbucks at Wesfield St Lukes.

*Terms and conditions apply. See in-centre for more details. 

Come and join a group of friendly locals restoring and looking after Wainoni Park.

Friends of Wainoni Park meet every Thursday morning from mid February until mid-December (we often have breaks over the school holidays). There is a range of tasks to suit a variety of fitness levels. This is a great opportunity to meet others while caring for Greenhithe’s environment.

Activities include:

-Releasing recently planted and established native trees from pest plants (weeds)
-Preparing areas for native plants
-Planting native plants
-Spreading mulch around native plantings
-Pest control
-Looking after the community edible garden
-Removing rubbish from the park
-Carrying out wildlife surveys
-Getting fit whilst forming new friendships.

Please bring a cold drink, sunhat and wear shoes with a good grip.
Long sleeves and trousers are required for some of the activities. Morning tea is supplied.

For more information and to register email  gctnicola@gmail.com

Friends of Wainoni Park is a Greenhithe Community Trust initiative. This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council.

Young people in Tāmaki Makaurau are vulnerable to Climate Change and are the ones who too often go unheard. This event run by Generation Zero is for the voices of our youth to echo through Tāmaki Makaurau, inspiring a collective commitment to environmental responsibility.

The Youth Climate Summit seeks to empower the future guardians of Aotearoa with knowledge, inspiration, and actionable strategies for shaping a sustainable future. Generation Zero hosts “a whānau-friendly day” through interactive workshops, keynote speakers, and activities for all, culminating in a policy development simulation responding to a mock climate crisis.

Our young tamariki will also get to learn and play! The summit will allow children to express their unique perspectives, encouraging creativity and fostering a sense of environmental connection.

Join in an interactive day to learn, debate, play, and be inspired.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Come along to the Arataki Visitor Centre during EcoFest 2024 and take part in a wonderful Twilight Walk with Annette Lees, author of After Dark: Walking into the Nights of Aotearoa on Fri 12 April 2024 from 7pm to 9pm.

The evening will start with a kōrero at the Visitor Centre, then a sunset walk along the Nature Trail. Annette will share stories along the way, and participants will use their senses and limited sight to experience the rainforest in a whole other light.

The guided walk will include a book signing session.

Suitable for adults and tweens and teens aged 12 years plus.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Get hands-on in the bush this EcoFest, with Restore Hibiscus and Bays at Campbell Glade Reserve in Torbay.

Weeding and planting have made a visible difference over the past year that this group has been working at Campbell Glade Reserve. Join this happy team to make this reserve even more special.

WHERE: Enter the reserve from any of the three entrances near 890 Beach Road, 67 Hebron Road or 7 Tiri View Place. Meet at the central grassed area.

WHEN: This regular working bee is on the second Saturday of the month 8am – 10.30am, and the fourth Saturday of the month (8am – 10am), every month.

This is a great opportunity to meet other locals interested in restoring and protecting our local environment, and to learn more about native plant and animal species and how we care for and protect them.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. Visit ecofest.org.nz and join us!

Have you heard the exciting news about gardening with biochar? Biochar acts as a “permanent” form of compost in your garden–it holds onto water, nutrients and helps turn clay soil into friable soil–but only if it is properly prepared. Unlike compost, biochar does not break down and disappear after a few seasons.

This FREE workshop explains what biochar is, how to prepare it, how to use it safely, and where to get it in order to turn clay into topsoil or just improve the garden soil you have.

Presenter Betsy Kettle is an experienced gardener, composter, and member of the Biochar Network New Zealand. She has been using biochar to transform her own clay-based garden for over 10 years, teaching schools how to use it, and applying it to a commercial banana plantation.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Join Judy Keats in this workshop, where you will become familiar with a selection of edible weeds and find out about noxious weeds and how to manage them successfully at the Triangle Park Community Teaching Garden in Massey.

Edible weeds are superfoods and will enhance your health. Come along to identify our seasonal weeds and enjoy a shot of ‘wild weed’ smoothie.

In the garden, you will observe liquid fertilisers, mulch, and humus-rich soil, all made from noxious weeds.

Registration/Ticket Info: Please email triangleparkgarden@gmail.com to register.

This is a Whānau Friendly EcoFeast 2024 Event! This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Would you like to participate in some citizen science? Drop by Huia Lodge Discovery Hub from 13th April as Cornwall park launches the Cornwall Park bird survey. Count the bird life in Cornwall Park for one hour, then return your survey to Huia Lodge to add your count and enter the draw to win a birds prize pack.

This activity is suitable for all ages, though younger children may need assistance from an adult.

Together we can build a record of the birdlife in the park and use this information as an indicator to see how the whole ecosystem is doing.

You can collect in person, or download it from our website and print it at home. This event continues beyond the end of EcoFest, until 28th April 2024.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Explore your connection to the taiao (natural environment) through art making in Ngā Pakiaka: Like the Roots of a Tree. Be inspired by the whenua (land) and all its living creatures in FREE fun, family-friendly activities that encourage you to feel with your fingers, play with your imagination, connect with each other and be a proud, creative kaitiaki (guardian) of our planet.

Whakatōmenetia tō hononga ki te taiao mā te mahi toi i roto i Ngā Pakiaka: Like the Roots of a Tree. Kia whakaohotia koe e te whenua me ōna koiora katoa, i roto i ēnei ngohe whakangahau mā te whānau katoa, e ākina nei ō matimati te whāwhā, tō hinengaro te tākarokaro, tō whānau te whakakaha i te herenga tāngata, e tū ai koe hei kaitiaki auaha e whakahīhī ana ki tō tātou ao.

Dates: Open daily from 28 Oct 2023 from10am to 5pm, excluding Christmas Day.
Location: Te Aka Matua | The Creative Learning Centre, Mezzanine Level

Come and join Ecomatters on the first day of the April school holidays for some vintage kid family fun!

Optional activities requiring an online booking and Koha/Donation

• 10:30am – All day giant educational wooden games
• 11:30am Kowhai and the Giants book reading

Optional Paid Kids Workshops require an online booking and payment.

• 12:30pm Creative Clay Garden Markers  $10
• 1:30pm Harakeke weaving and Māori Tikanga $10
• 2:30pm Patch it! Designer Clothes $10

Maximum of 12 attendees per workshop.

Thanks to the Whau Climate Action Network and EcoMatters volunteers for their help on the day.

Questions? Contact Meg@ecomatters.org.nz

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Visit the creative space where young hands will be inspired to create their own out of this world, wacky characters at the FREE activity stations at Weta Workshop Unleashed.  Craft, colour, then give them a name and a personality – bring your imagination and your character to life! With the help of the expert crew, children of all ages are invited to explore their creativity with activities designed to inspire, engage and entertain.

Come check out the FREE cool creative station at Unleashed, open every day during the school holidays.

If you wish to go on a tour of Weta Workshop Unleashed then charges apply.

Whether you have your own gardening space already or not, come and spend time outside with other locals at Ostend Community Garden!

Share gardening knowledge, make neighbourhood connections, and increase your physical and mental wellbeing. At Ostend Garden we come together once a month so that members can take care of their own allotted plots with company, do bigger jobs like mulching, fruit harvesting, and caring for the GROW beds. The produce in these goes straight to the GROW stall at Ostend Market every Saturday, to increase access to affordable fresh fruit and veggies and raise funds that go back into the community gardens.

Tools provided, but BYO gloves if you have them. All ages and experience levels welcome. Bring snacks to share for the morning tea at the end.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council. 

Whether you have your own gardening space already or not, come and spend time outside with other locals at Ostend Community Garden!

Share gardening knowledge, make neighbourhood connections, and increase your physical and mental wellbeing. At Ostend Garden people come together once a month so that members can take care of their own allotted plots with company, do bigger jobs like mulching, fruit harvesting, and caring for the GROW beds. The produce in these goes straight to the GROW stall at Ostend Market every Saturday, to increase access to affordable fresh fruit and veggies and raise funds that go back into the community gardens.

Tools provided, but BYO gloves if you have them. All ages and experience levels welcome. Bring snacks to share for the morning tea at the end.

This event is part of EcoFest, an annual month-long festival taking place Friday 15 March – Sunday 14 April 2024. Inspiring climate action across Tāmaki Makaurau, it is hosted in collaboration by EcoMatters, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust and Waiheke Resources Trust, and proudly supported by Auckland Council.