Poi Poi - A Gathering Under the Matariki Skies

Join us at Gunns Bush Camp, just 15 minutes outside Waimate, for a nurturing weekend of epic music and kai, grounding ritual, ceremony, and celebration of community. 

Ceremony will be the backbone of this event and we will be guided in and out of the weekend and through a sunrise Matariki ceremony, with taonga Pūoro, immersive sound, karakia, and collective intention. 

Daytime workshops will include breath work, sound journey, ngāhere hikoi (forest walks), pūrakau (storytelling), and more. Evening entertainment will feature some of Aotearoa's finest DJs, fire spinning and a roaring hot drum fire. The sauna will be lit all weekend with the awa close by for a refreshing reset.

Sharing kai and feeding the community go hand in hand, and with this intention we will be providing a simple and nourishing breakfast both mornings and dinner on Saturday night. There is an industrial kitchen on site plus an outdoor barbecue and these will be available for use when not being used for communal food prep.

We hope you'll join us in embracing a gifting culture for the duration of the event - whether this takes the form of a dishwashing session, a poem performed at Open Mic, a shared dish or garnish to contribute to any meal, or making someone a hot cuppa. This is an alcohol-free event, and we ask that you manage your rubbish and take out what you bring in.

Lodging is available in the camp for an extra $10 per bunk bed. There are 80 bunk beds available, and each room has between 8-13 beds. You can book a bunk by selecting it as an add-on after purchasing your ticket (you can select multiple beds if you want to reserve beds for your friends), and you will be sent a booking form once your ticket order is processed. There is plenty of space to set up a tent or sleep in your vehicle around the camp, and plenty of hot water for hot water bottles to help keep you warm during the night.