When is Taranaki Anniversary Day in 2026?

Taranaki Anniversary Day will be observed on Monday, March 9, 2026. There are currently 65 days remaining until the region celebrates this occasion. While the actual historical anniversary of the province is March 31, the public holiday is traditionally moved to the second Monday in March each year. This scheduling ensures that the community can enjoy a long weekend and prevents the holiday from clashing with the Easter period, allowing residents a consistent and reliable break to honor their local heritage.

Is Taranaki Anniversary Day a public holiday?

Yes, it is a statutory public holiday, but it applies specifically to those living and working within the Taranaki region. This includes major towns such as New Plymouth, Hawera, Stratford, Inglewood, Waitara, and Eltham. On this day, schools, government offices, and most local businesses are closed. Employees who usually work on this day are entitled to a paid day off. If you are visiting from another part of New Zealand, it is important to remember that businesses outside the Taranaki boundaries will operate as normal.

What is the historical significance of this day?

The day commemorates the founding of the Taranaki province and the arrival of the first European settlers in the early 19th century. It marks a period when whalers, fishermen, and colonizers arrived in an area that was already home to established Māori iwi. The holiday serves as a time to reflect on the complex colonial history of the region, including the impacts of the Treaty of Waitangi and the subsequent conflicts. It acts as a tribute to the resilience of the Māori people and the development of the unique cultural identity found in the region today.

How do local residents typically celebrate the day?

Unlike major national holidays that feature large parades, Taranaki Anniversary Day is usually spent quietly with a focus on community and family. Many residents take advantage of the mild autumn weather to explore the outdoors, visit local heritage sites, or relax at home. It is a day for low-key activities, such as coastal walks or visiting landmarks that highlight the area's whaling and colonial past. The emphasis is on appreciating the regional landscape and reflecting on the stories of both Māori and European ancestors who shaped the province.

What should visitors expect if traveling to Taranaki during this time?

Visitors should be prepared for a slower pace of life. Since it is a regional public holiday, many shops, cafes, and professional services in New Plymouth and surrounding towns may be closed or have reduced operating hours. Public transport schedules might also be limited. It is highly recommended to book accommodation in advance and check the opening times of specific tourist attractions or restaurants. However, it is an excellent time to experience the local culture and visit historic sites without the usual weekday hustle.

Who was Frederick William Hutton in relation to this day?

Frederick William Hutton was a British naval officer and a significant figure among the early European colonizers who influenced the region's development. Research highlights his role alongside other early settlers who established the foundations of the Taranaki province. While the holiday acknowledges these colonial figures, modern observances also strive to balance this by recognizing the pre-existing Māori society and the challenges brought about by colonization, fostering a more inclusive understanding of the region's total history.

Are there any specific traditions associated with the holiday?

There are no rigid national traditions for Taranaki Anniversary Day; instead, it is characterized by local customs and regional pride. Common activities include visiting the coastal areas or exploring the temperate landscapes that the region is famous for. Educational opportunities often arise during this time, with local museums or historical societies highlighting the whaling history and the evolution of the dairy industry. The tradition is essentially one of regional identity, where locals celebrate what makes Taranaki distinct from the rest of New Zealand.

Why is the holiday held on a different date than the actual anniversary?

The actual anniversary of the province is March 31, marking the arrival of settlers in 1841. However, the holiday is officially observed on the second Monday of March. This shift is a practical arrangement made by local authorities to ensure the holiday does not overlap with the Easter break, which often falls in late March or early April. By moving the date to March 9, 2026 in 2026, the region ensures a dedicated long weekend for its residents to rest and celebrate their local history independently of other major holidays.

How Many Days Until Taranaki Anniversary Day? • Mar 9, 2026

Name: Taranaki Anniversary Day 2026 - New Zealand
Start: 2026-03-09
End: 2026-03-09
Location: New Zealand

Te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Taranaki: He Whakanuinga i te Mana me te Hītori o te Rohe

Ko te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Taranaki he rā whakahirahira e whakanui ana i te tuakiri, te hītori, me te whakapapa o te rohe o Taranaki. He rā tēnei e whakakotahi ana i te iwi ki te whakaaroaro ki ngā rā o mua, mai i te taenga mai o ngā waka tupuna o te Māori ki ngā takutai o te Tai Hauāuru, ki te taenga mai o ngā manene tuatahi mai i rāwāhi i te rautau tekau mā iwa. He wā tēnei hei whakanui i te tipuranga o te rohe, mai i ngā pā tūwatawata o neherā ki ngā tāone e tipu ana i tēnei rā, i raro i te korowai rangimārie o te Maunga tapu, a Taranaki.

He rerekē tēnei rā i ngā rā whakatā ā-motu pēnei i te Rā o Waitangi, i te Rā o te Anzac rānei. Ko tōna pūtake he mea ā-rohe tonu, e hāngai pū ana ki ngā iwi me ngā hapori e noho ana i waenga i te awa o Mokau ki te raki, me te awa o Patea ki te tonga. He rā tēnei e kite ai i te whakakotahitanga o te hītori koroniara me te hā o te ao Māori, e whakaatu ana i te pakari o te iwi me te rerehua o te whenua. Mo te hunga e noho ana i New Plymouth, Inglewood, Waitara, Hawera, Stratford, me Eltham, he rā whakatā tēnei hei whakatā i te tinana me te whakamaumahara i te wairua.

I tēnei rā, ka kitea te whakamanawa o te hapori ki tō rātou tūrangawaewae. Ahakoa ko te kaupapa matua ko te whakatūnga o te porowini o Taranaki i ngā tau 1800, i tēnei wā tonu, kua huri te titiro ki te whakawhanaungatanga me te māramatanga ki ngā kōrero o te whenua—ngā pakanga o Taranaki, te maumahara ki a Parihaka, me te kaha o te iwi ki te pupuri i ā rātou tikanga. He rā tēnei mo te whānau, mo te hākinakina, me te maioha ki te taiao whakamīharo e karapoti ana i a rātou.

Āhea te rā i te tau 2026?

Ko te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Taranaki ka whakanuia i te mānati tuarua o Maehe i ia tau. Mo te tau 2026, koinei ngā kōrero mō te rā:

Te rā: March 9, 2026 Te rā o te wiki: Monday Te tawhiti: 65 ngā rā e toe ana

He rā nuku tēnei. Ko te rā tūturu o te huritau ko te 31 o Maehe—koinei te rā i tae mai ai te kaipuke tuatahi o te kamupene o Plymouth (te William Bryan) ki te nōhanga o New Plymouth i te tau 1841. Heoi, kia kore ai e tuki ki te rā o te Aranga (Easter), kua whakaritea e te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Taranaki kia nuku te rā whakatā ki te mānati tuarua o Maehe. Mā tēnei whakaritenga e mau tonu ai he wiki roa (long weekend) mo te hunga mahi me ngā tamariki kura i te wā e mahana tonu ana te huarere o te ngahuru.

Te Tāhuhu o te Hītori: Ngā Pūtake me ngā Putanga

Ko te hītori o te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Taranaki he mea raranga ki ngā kōrero o te whenua me te moana. Ko te rā 31 o Maehe te tohu o te taenga mai o ngā Pākehā tuatahi ki te rohe i te tau 1841. I raro i te maru o te New Zealand Company, i tae mai ngā manene mai i Devon me Cornwall i Ingarangi, e rapu ana i te oranga hōu i runga i te whenua haumako o Taranaki. Ko Frederick William Hutton tētahi o ngā tangata rongonui i taua wā i whai wāhi ki te whakahaere i ngā mahi koroniara.

Heoi, ehara tēnei i te hītori o te tangata kotahi, o te iwi kotahi rānei. I mua noa atu i te taenga mai o te kaipuke William Bryan*, kua roa kē ngā iwi o Taranaki e noho ana i tēnei whenua. Ko ngā iwi e waru o Taranaki—Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Tama, Taranaki Iwi, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Ruanui, me Ngā Rauru—he hōhonu tō rātou whakapapa ki te maunga me te moana.

Ko te Rā Whakamaharatanga he wā hei whakaaroaro ki ngā pakanga o Taranaki i tīmata i te tau 1860 i Waitara. He wā uaua tērā i roto i te hītori o Aotearoa, i reira i raru ai te noho tahi i waenga i te Māori me te Pākehā nā te hiahia ki te whenua. I tēnei rā, ka whakanuia te kaha o te iwi Māori ki te tū ake mo ō rātou mōtika, me te hātepe o te houhou rongo e haere tonu ana i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ko te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Taranaki he tohu mo te whakakotahitanga o ēnei kōrero katoa—te mamae o mua, te pakari o te iwi, me te wawata mo te rā ki mua.

Ngā Tikanga me ngā Whakanuinga i Taranaki

Kāore he tikanga kotahi e whai ana te katoa i tēnei rā, engari he maha ngā huarahi e whakanui ai te tangata i Taranaki. He rā whakatā tēnei e aro nui ana ki te hapori me te whānau.

Te Whakangā me te Whānau

I te mea he wiki roa tēnei, he maha ngā whānau ka haere ki te taha moana. He rongonui te rohe o Taranaki mo ana ngaru (surfing), ā, ko te 'Surf Highway 45' he wāhi pai hei haere mā te hunga e pai ana ki te moana. He rā pai tēnei hei tunu kai ki waho (BBQ) me te pārekareka ki te huarere mahana o te ngahuru i mua i te kōtingotingo o te takurua.

Te Hākinakina me te Taiao

He maha te hunga ka whiriwhiri ki te piki i te Maunga Taranaki, ki te hīkoi rānei i ngā ara maha i roto i te Egmont National Park. Ko te hīkoi i te New Plymouth Coastal Walkway tētahi o ngā mahi tino rongonui i tēnei rā. He ara e 13 kiromita te roa e whai ana i te takutai moana, mai i te whanga o Ngāmotu ki Bell Block, e tuku ana i ngā tirohanga whakamīharo ki te moana me te maunga.

Ngā Tikanga ā-Iwi

I runga i ngā marae puta noa i te rohe, he wā tēnei mo te huihuinga whānau me te kōrero hītori. Ahakoa ehara i te mea he rā whakanui i te koroniaratanga anake, he wā tēnei hei ako i ngā tamariki ki ngā kōrero o o rātou tūpuna. He maha ngā whare taonga, pēnei i a Puke Ariki i New Plymouth, ka tūwhera tonu hei whakaatu i ngā taonga me ngā kōrero o te rohe—mai i te wā o te hōua ki te ao hou.

Ngā Huihuinga ā-Rohe

I ētahi tau, ka tū ngā tākaro ā-rohe, ngā mākete, me ngā huihuinga iti i roto i ngā tāone ririki pēnei i Stratford me Hawera. He wā tēnei e kite ai i te manaakitanga o te hunga nō te tuawhenua. Ko te whakanui i te hītori o te mahi miraka kau me te ahuwhenua tētahi wāhanga hira o te rā, i te mea koinei te tuara o te ohaoha o Taranaki.

He Whakamahere mo te hunga haere mai me ngā manene

Mēnā kei te whakamahere koe ki te haere ki Taranaki i te takiwā o te March 9, 2026, he mea nui kia mōhio koe ki ētahi take whaitake.

Ngā Toa me ngā Ratonga

I te mea he rā whakatā ā-ture tēnei, ka kati te nuinga o ngā tari kāwanatanga, ngā peka peke, me ngā kura i roto i te rohe o Taranaki. Ko te nuinga o ngā toa hokohoko nui ka tūwhera tonu, engari he poto ake pea ngā haora mahi. Ko ngā whare kai me ngā whare inu (cafés and bars) ka tūwhera tonu i te nuinga o te wā, engari kia mahara, tērā pea ka utua he 'public holiday surcharge' (he pikinga utu 15%) hei awhina i ngā rangatira ki te utu i ā rātou kaimahi i raro i te ture.

Te Haereere

He wā pukumahi tēnei i runga i ngā rori e huri noa ana i te maunga. Mēnā kei te haere mai koe i waho atu o te rohe, kia mahara he rā mahi noa iho tēnei i Waikato, i Manawatū rānei. Ko te rohe anake o Taranaki ka whakatā. Kia tūpato i runga i te rori, ā, me tūpato hoki mēnā kei te whakamahi koe i ngā pahi ā-rohe, i te mea ka heke te maha o ngā haerenga i te rā whakatā.

Ngā Wāhi hei Tirohanga

Puke Ariki: He whare taonga, he whare pukapuka hoki kei te pūtake o te tāone o New Plymouth. He wāhi pai tēnei hei ako i te hītori o te rohe.
Pukekura Park: Ko tētahi o ngā pāka tino rerehua o Aotearoa. He pai mo te hikoi whānau me te mātakitaki i ngā tipu rerekē.
Cape Egmont Lighthouse: He tohu hītori kei te takutai, e whakaatu ana i te hītori o te moana i te rohe.
Taranaki Maungapu: Ahakoa he uaua te piki ki te tihi, he maha ngā ara hīkoi i te pūtake o te maunga e pai ana mo te katoa.

He rā whakatā ā-ture tēnei?

Ae, ko te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Taranaki he rā whakatā ā-ture (statutory public holiday) mo te hunga katoa e mahi ana i roto i te rohe o Taranaki. I raro i te Ture ngā Rā Whakatā 2003 (Holidays Act 2003), ko ngā kaimahi e hāngai ana ki tēnei rohe ka whiwhi i te rā whakatā me te utu, mēnā he rā mahi noa tēnei mo rātou.

Mēnā ka mahi tētahi kaimahi i tēnei rā (pēnei i te hunga mahi i roto i ngā hōhipera, te pirihimana, te hunga rānei i roto i ngā whare kai), me utu rātou ki te 'time and a half' (kotahi me te hāwhe te utu tūturu), ā, ka whiwhi hoki rātou i tētahi rā whakatā i tētahi atu rā (alternative holiday/day in lieu).

He mea nui kia mahara ko te rohe o Taranaki anake e whakanui ana i tēnei rā. Mēnā kei te noho koe i Taranaki engari ka mahi koe mo tētahi kamupene kei Tāmaki Makaurau, kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara rānei, me kōrero koe ki tōu kaituku mahi mo tōu mōtika ki tēnei rā whakatā. I te nuinga o te wā, ko te wāhi e mahi ana koe te mea nui, ehara i te wāhi kei reira te tumuaki o te kamupene.

Te Whakakapinga

Ko te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Taranaki he rā whakahirahira e whakakotahi ana i te neherā me te ināianei. He rā hei whakanui i te kotahitanga o te iwi, te rerehua o te taiao, me te kaha o te hapori. Ahakoa te kōrero mō ngā kaipuke o mua, mō te maunga tapu rānei, ko te mea nui ko te noho tahi a te hapori i raro i te rangimārie.

Mo te hunga e noho ana i raro i te maru o Taranaki, ko te March 9, 2026, 2026 he wā hei whakatā, hei whakangā, hei whakamaumahara hoki i te wairua o tēnei rohe whakamīharo. Ahakoa he tangata whenua koe, he manene hōu rānei, he rā tēnei hei whakanui i te kōrero e kī ana, "Taranaki iwi, tahi rā!" — e tohu ana i te kotahitanga me te mana o te iwi o Taranaki.

Nō reira, kia pai tō koutou rā whakatā, kia pai te noho tahi me te whānau, ā, kia pūmau te maumahara ki ngā hītori maha o tēnei whenua haumako. Ko Taranaki te maunga, ko Taranaki te iwi, ko Taranaki te takiwā!

Year	Day of Week	Date
2025	Monday	March 10, 2025
2024	Monday	March 11, 2024
2023	Monday	March 13, 2023
2022	Monday	March 14, 2022
2021	Monday	March 8, 2021
2020	Monday	March 9, 2020
2019	Monday	March 11, 2019
2018	Monday	March 12, 2018
2017	Monday	March 13, 2017
2016	Monday	March 14, 2016
2015	Monday	March 9, 2015
2014	Monday	March 10, 2014
2013	Monday	March 11, 2013
2012	Monday	March 12, 2012
2011	Monday	March 14, 2011
2010	Monday	March 8, 2010

Taranaki Anniversary Day

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