It’s officially festive season, and Auckland’s pulling out all the stops with a brand-new mega Christmas tree!
Standing a whopping 18.4 meters tall, Te Manaaki will be decked out with hundreds of giant baubles, thousands of bright Pōhutukawa flowers, and a whopping 10,000 individual LED lights to illuminate Te Komititanga square in Tāmaki Makaurau.
The name Te Manaaki was gifted by the tangata whenua of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and it’s all about “respect, care, and hospitality.”
The installation of the tree will kick off a new tradition for Auckland, bringing a uniquely Kiwi Christmas vibe to the city.
Not to mention it seems like the perfect backdrop for your annual Christmas photos - or just a super aesthetic spot for those festive ‘Gram pics.
“We’d love to see it become an enduring Christmas tradition for many years ahead - a place for both locals and visitors to come and create new memories,” says Viv Beck, Chief Executive of Heart of the City.
Te Manaaki is a gift from Heart of the City and Precinct Properties, with support from Auckland Council and will be up and lit from the 23rd of November until the 6th of January 2025.
There will be a ‘lighting up’ celebration to come in the coming weeks, where Kiwis can head along to officially mark the countdown to Christmas, and all that comes with it.
Whether you're rushing to get your Christmas shopping done early or planning to soak up all the festivities in the city, you might want to make some time to stop at Te Manaaki, Smith and Caughey’s windows and Santa’s Enchanted Forest.
Until all the festivities are up and running, Aucklanders can watch Te Manaaki slowly grow and transform into a true Kiwi Christmas icon.
