Holiday Details
- Holiday Name
- Southland Anniversary Day
- Country
- New Zealand
- Date
- April 7, 2026
- Day of Week
- Tuesday
- Status
- 94 days away
- About this Holiday
- Southland Anniversary Day is a local holiday in New Zealand
Southland Anniversary Day
New Zealand • April 7, 2026 • Tuesday
94
Days
07
Hours
25
Mins
45
Secs
until Southland Anniversary Day
Pacific/Auckland timezone
About Southland Anniversary Day
Also known as: Southland Anniversary Day
Te Rā Whakamaharatanga o Murihiku: He Aratohu Matawhānui mō te Rā whakatā o te Rohe
Ko te Rā Whakatā o Murihiku, e mōhiotia whānuitia ana ko Southland Anniversary Day, he rā motuhake i te maramataka o te hunga e noho ana i te pito ki te tonga rawa o Aotearoa. He rā tēnei hei whakanui i te tūmāia, i te manahau, me te hītori ahurei o te rohe o Murihiku. Ahakoa he rā whakatā ā-rohe noa iho i raro i te ture o te motu, mō te hunga e noho ana i waenga i te kōhatu o Waituna ki te raki me te moana o Te Moana-tāpokopoko-a-Tāwhaki ki te tonga, he wā tēnei hei okioki me te whakamaumahara i te tūnga ake o tō rātou rohe hei porowini motuhake i ngā tau tōmua o te nohoanga o te Pākehā ki tēnei motu.
He rerekē te āhua o tēnei rā whakatā ki ētahi atu rohe o Aotearoa. I te nuinga o te wā, ka kitea ngā rā whakatā ā-rohe e tū ana i te tīmatanga o te tau, i te kōanga rānei, engari mō Murihiku, kua whakatauhia kia honoa atu ki te wā o te Aranga. He tohu tēnei i te wairua mahi tahi o ngā kaunihera o te rohe — ko te Kaunihera o Waihōpai (Invercargill), te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Murihiku (Southland District), me te Kaunihera o Maruawai (Gore). Na tā rātou whakatau i te tau 2011, kua whai wāhi te iwi ki te whakatā roa, e rima rā te roa mai i te Paraire Pai ki te Tūrei o te Aranga. He wā tēnei e tino manakohia ana e ngā whānau ahuwhenua me te hunga mahi i ngā tāone, i te mea ko te ngahuru te wā e whakarite ana te tangata mō te takurua roa o te tonga.
Ko te mea nui e wehe ana i a Murihiku i te motu katoa i tēnei rā, ko tō rātou tuakiri. He iwi pakari, he iwi hūmārie, ā, he iwi e mōhio ana ki te manaaki manuhiri. I tēnei rā whakatā, ka kitea te huri o te titiro ki ngā maunga o Fiordland, ki ngā mania whai rawa o te rohe, me ngā tātahi e pātata ana. He rā tēnei e whakanui ana i te "Southern Hospitality" e rongonui ai te rohe, ahakoa kāore he parati nui, he huihuinga tūmatanui rānei e whakaritea ana i ia tau, ko te wairua o te whānau me te hapori te mea nui.
Te Rā Whakatā i te Tau 2026
Mō te tau 2026, ka tū te Rā Whakatā o Murihiku i te rā e whai ake nei:
Rā o te wiki: Tuesday Rā o te marama: April 7, 2026 Te wā e toe ana: 94 ngā rā e toe ana
He mea nui kia mahara ko tēnei rā he rā "neke" (variable date). Ahakoa ko te rā hītori tūturu o te porowini ko te 17 o Hanuere, kua nekehia ki te Tūrei o te Aranga i ia tau. He whakataunga ā-rohe tēnei kia kaua e whakararu i te wā o te raumati, kia whai wāhi hoki ngā kaimahi ki te whakatā roa me ō rātou whānau i te wā o te Aranga. Mō te hunga e haere mai ana i waho o te rohe, he mea nui kia mahara ko te Tūrei te rā whakatā i konei, ahakoa he rā mahi noa i tō rātou ake tāone pēnei i te Tāmaki Makaurau, i te Te Whanganui-a-Tara rānei.
Ngā Takenga mai me te Hītori
Hei mārama ki te pūtake o tēnei rā, me hoki whakamuri ki te rautau tekau mā iwa. I te tōmuatanga o te nohoanga o te Pākehā, ko Murihiku he wāhanga o te porowini o Ōtākou (Otago). Heoi, i tipu ake te hiahia o te hunga e noho ana ki te tonga kia whai mana motuhake rātou. I te rā tuatahi o Paenga-whāwhā (April) i te tau 1861, ka tū te Porowini o Murihiku hei hinonga motuhake i muri i te wehenga mai i a Ōtākou.
Heoi, kāore i roa tēnei tūnga motuhake. Nā te uaua o te whakahaere pūtea me te iti o te taupori i taua wā, ka hoki anō a Murihiku ki raro i te mana o Ōtākou i te tau 1870. I muri mai, i te tau 1876, ka whakakorehia te punaha porowini puta noa i Aotearoa i raro i te Ture Whakakore i ngā Porowini (Abolition of the Provinces Act). Ahakoa te whakakorenga o te punaha porowini, i mau tonu te hiahia o ngā hapori ki te whakanui i tō rātou takenga mai.
I raro i te Ture mō ngā Rā Whakatā 1981 (Holidays Act 1981), i whakamanahia kia whai rā whakatā ia rohe o Aotearoa hei whakamaharatanga ki te rā i whakatūria ai te porowini, ki te rā rānei i u mai ai te hunga noho tuatahi. Mō Murihiku, he take kōrero tonu te rā tūturu. Ko te 17 o Hanuere te rā i hainatia ai te tūnga porowini, engari i te mea e tū ana tēnei i te wā o te hararei raumati, he maha ngā tau i whakanuia ai i te marama o Maehe hei rā "Easter Tuesday".
I te tau 2011, i muri i te maha o ngā kōrerorero i waenga i ngā koromatua o te rohe (Invercargill City, Southland District, me Gore District), i whakatauhia kia u tonu ki te Tūrei o te Aranga. Ko te take matua ko te pai mō te hunga mahi me ngā kura, kia kore ai e motu te ia o te wiki i te hokinga mai i te Mane o te Aranga. He tauira pai tēnei o te ahua o Murihiku — te whai i te whaitake (practicality) i mua i te kawa mārō.
Ngā Tikanga me te Whakanui i Murihiku
Kāore he tikanga mārō, kāore hoki he parati whakapaipai pēnei i ētahi atu rā whakatā. Engari, ko te ahua o te whakanui i Murihiku he whakaata i te noho tahi o te whānau me te rurua o te whenua.
1. Te Haere ki te Whenua (Outdoor Pursuits): I te mea he rohe ahuwhenua a Murihiku, he maha ngā tangata ka whakamahi i tēnei rā ki te mahi i ngā mahi i waho. Mō te hunga whakatā, ko te hī ika i te Moana o Te Anau, i te Moana o Manapouri rānei tētahi o ngā mahi tino rongonui. He wā pai tēnei mō te hunga whakangau poaka, whakangau tia rānei i ngā ngahere o Fiordland.
2. Ngā Kai o te Tonga: He rā tēnei hei kai i ngā kai reka o te rohe. Ki te waimarie te tangata, koinei te wā o te kaimoana, ina rā ko ngā tio o Awarua (Bluff Oysters). Ahakoa he wāhanga te rā o te katoa o te wiki o te Aranga, ka kitea te maha o ngā whānau e mahi rorerore (barbecue) ana, e kai ana rānei i te "Southland Cheese Roll" (te sushi o te tonga) hei paramanawa i tō rātou haerenga ki te kōpaka.
3. Te Haere mā te Motokā: He maha ngā whānau ka kōwhiri ki te huri i te "Southern Scenic Route". He ara ataahua tēnei ka tīmata i Waihōpai, ka haere i te taha o te takutai ki te tonga, mā te Catlins, tae noa ki Ōtepoti, ki te tuauru rānei ki te Te Anau. I te tau 2026, na te mea he rā Tūrei tēnei, he maha ngā tangata ka hoki mai i ō rātou haerenga roa i tēnei rā, e karo ana i te hūpē o te waka i te Mane o te Aranga.
4. Ngā Huihuinga i Gore me Maruawai: I te tāone o Gore, i ētahi wā ka tū ngā kaupapa iti i te taha o te awa o Mataura. He tāone tēnei e rongonui ana mō te puoro "Country", ā, ahakoa ko te hui nui (Gold Guitar Awards) kei te marama o Pipiri, ka kitea tonu te wairua o te puoro i ngā pāpuni me ngā whare hapori i te rā whakatā o te rohe.
He Aratohu mō ngā Manuhiri me te hunga haereere
Ki te mahere ana koe ki te toro atu ki Murihiku i te wā o te April 7, 2026, 2026, he mea nui kia mōhio koe ki ētahi take whaitake:
Ngā Toa me ngā Ratonga: I te mea he rā whakatā ā-rohe tēnei, ka kati te nuinga o ngā kura, ngā peke, me ngā tari kāwanatanga. Ko ngā hokomaha (supermarkets) ka tuwhera tonu, engari he poto ake pea ngā haora mahi. Ko ngā toa iti i ngā tāone pēnei i Gore me Waihōpai ka kati pea, nō reira me hoko mai i ō hiahia i mua i te rā Tūrei. Waka Tūmatanui: Ka iti iho ngā pahi me ngā ratonga kawe tangata i roto i te tāone o Waihōpai. Ki te mea kei te hiahia koe ki te haere ki te motu o Rakiura (Stewart Island), me whakarite wawe i tō tīkiti mō te waka kōpaka (ferry), i te mea he wā pukumahi tēnei mō te hunga haereere. Te Huarere: I te marama o Paenga-whāwhā, kua timata te mātao o te tonga. Ko te pāmahana kei waenga i te 10 ki te 15 nga tohu Celsius i te awatea, engari ka heke iho ki raro i te 5 tohu i te pō. He mea nui kia mau i ngā kākahu mahana me te koti ua, i te mea he tere te huri o te rangi i te pito ki te tonga.
- Ngā Whare Taonga: He wā pai tēnei ki te toro atu ki "Bill Richardson Transport World" rānei ki te "E Hayes and Sons" i Waihōpai (kia kite i te motopaika a Burt Munro). Heoi, me tirotiro i mua mehemea kei te tuwhera rātou i te rā whakatā, i te mea he rerekē ngā haora i ngā rā whakatā tūmatanui.
He aha te take he rā whakatā tēnei?
He mea nui kia mārama ko te Rā Whakatā o Murihiku he rā whakatā ā-ture (statutory holiday) mō te hunga e mahi ana i roto i te iwi o Murihiku. Ko te tikanga o tēnei:
- Te Rā Whakatā me te Utu: Mō te kaimahi e mahia ana i te rohe o Murihiku, mehemea ko te Tūrei he rā mahi noa mōna, ka whai motika ia ki te whiwhi i te rā whakatā me te utu katoa.
- Mahi i te Rā Whakatā: Ki te mahi te tangata i tēnei rā, me utu ia ki te "time and a half" (kotahi me te hāwhe o tōna utu auau), ā, ka whiwhi hoki ia i tētahi rā whakatā whakakapi (alternative holiday/day in lieu).
- Te Rohe o te Rā Whakatā: Ko tēnei rā whakatā e pā ana ki te rohe katoa o Murihiku. Ko tōna rohe kei te raki ko te awa o Waitaki (mo te taha ki te rāwhiti) me ngā maunga ki te raki o Te Anau. Ki te mea kei te mahi koe i roto i te rohe o Ōtākou (pēnei i Ōtepoti, i Tāhuna rānei), kāore tēnei rā e pā ki a koe, i te mea he rā whakatā rerekē tō rātou (Otago Anniversary Day).
Te Wairua o Murihiku
I te mutunga iho, ko te Rā Whakatā o Murihiku he tohu o te hononga o te tangata ki tōna whenua. Ahakoa kua roa te wā i whakakorehia ai te porowini hei hinonga tōrangapū, kāore i taea te whakakore i te tuakiri o te tangata o te tonga. He iwi e whakahīhī ana ki tō rātou hītori, mai i ngā kōrero o Ngāi Tahu me te hīnga ake o te motu, ki te taenga mai o te hunga whai i te tohorā, me te hunga ahuwhenua i whakatika i te whenua.
Ko te April 7, 2026, 2026 he rā hei whakatā i te tere o te ao hou. He rā hei titiro ki te rangi, hei manawa ora i te hau mātao o te tonga, me te mihi ki te waimarie o te noho i tēnei wāhanga o Aotearoa. Mō ngā kaimahi, he hā i mua i te hokinga atu ki te mahi i muri i te Aranga. Mō ngā tamariki, he rā anō hei tākaro i waho i mua i te hokinga ki te kura. Ā, mō te hapori whānui, he rā hei whakakaha i ngā hononga e tuitui ana i te rohe o Murihiku.
Nō reira, ahakoa kei hea koe i roto i te rohe — mai i te tauranga o Bluff ki te tāone o Maruawai, mai i te mania o Northern Southland ki te ngahere o Fiordland — kia pai tō rā whakatā. Kia pai te okioki, kia pai te whakawhanaunga, ā, kia pai te whakanui i te rā o Murihiku i tēnei tau 2026. He rohe ahurei, he iwi rangatira, he rā hei whakamaumahara i te tūnga motuhake o te tonga i roto i te ngākau o Aotearoa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Southland Anniversary Day in New Zealand
Southland Anniversary Day will be observed on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. As of January 1, 2026, there are 94 days remaining until the holiday. In the Southland region, this day is traditionally held on Easter Tuesday to create a longer holiday break for residents, following immediately after Easter Monday. This scheduling was formally agreed upon by the local mayors of Invercargill, Southland, and Gore to provide maximum convenience for the community.
Yes, it is a regional public holiday, but only for those living and working within the Southland province. Under the Holidays Act 1981, this day serves as a paid day off for the general population in areas such as Invercargill and Gore. While schools, banks, and most government offices are closed, essential services like supermarkets and emergency departments remain operational, though often with reduced hours. It is important to note that people working in other regions of New Zealand, such as Auckland or Wellington, do not observe this holiday and will work as normal.
The holiday commemorates the founding of the Southland Province, which officially split from the Otago Province on April 1, 1861. Although the provincial government system was abolished across New Zealand in 1876, the tradition of celebrating the regional founding remains. While the actual historical anniversary is in January, local councils chose to move the public observance to Easter Tuesday in 2011 to better align with the Easter break, ensuring a more practical and enjoyable holiday period for the modern workforce.
Southland Anniversary Day is generally a relaxed, family-oriented occasion rather than a day for large-scale parades or festivals. Because it falls at the end of the Easter period, many locals take the opportunity to enjoy Southland's natural beauty. Common activities include fishing, boating on the Fiordland lakes, and going for drives along the Southern Scenic Route. Given the region's strong rural character, many families also spend the day visiting farms or hosting backyard barbecues to make the most of the final day of the long weekend.
Most commercial businesses, including professional offices and construction sites, are closed for the day. Retail shops in major centers like Invercargill and Gore may have limited trading hours, and most cafes and restaurants remain open to cater to holidaymakers. Public transport services usually operate on a reduced Sunday or holiday timetable. Visitors should plan ahead as government services, post offices, and libraries will be shut, making it a very quiet day in the city centers.
Visitors can expect a peaceful and low-key atmosphere. The weather in April is typically autumnal, with temperatures ranging between 10°C and 15°C, so warm clothing is recommended. It is an ideal time for exploring rural Southland or visiting Bluff for the famous oysters, which are in season. However, travelers should be aware that because it is a public holiday, some local attractions might have restricted hours, and accommodation in popular spots near Fiordland may be busier than usual due to the long Easter weekend.
The holiday is observed throughout the Southland region, which includes the Invercargill City Council, the Southland District Council, and the Gore District Council areas. This covers a wide geographical area from the southern coast up to the borders of the Otago region. If you are traveling across the regional border into Otago or beyond on Tuesday, you will find that businesses and schools there are operating normally, as they observe their own specific anniversary days at different times of the year.
Unlike some national holidays, Southland Anniversary does not have rigid formal traditions or specific ceremonies. Instead, the 'tradition' is largely defined by the Southland lifestyle—namely, enjoying the outdoors and spending time with family. Many residents use the day to complete seasonal tasks on their properties or enjoy the quietude of the southern landscape. It serves as a final relaxation period before the colder winter months begin to settle into the southernmost part of New Zealand.
Historical Dates
Southland Anniversary Day dates in New Zealand from 2010 to 2025
| Year | Day of Week | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tuesday | April 22, 2025 |
| 2024 | Tuesday | April 2, 2024 |
| 2023 | Tuesday | April 11, 2023 |
| 2022 | Tuesday | April 19, 2022 |
| 2021 | Tuesday | April 6, 2021 |
| 2020 | Tuesday | April 14, 2020 |
| 2019 | Tuesday | April 23, 2019 |
| 2018 | Tuesday | April 3, 2018 |
| 2017 | Tuesday | April 18, 2017 |
| 2016 | Tuesday | March 29, 2016 |
| 2015 | Tuesday | April 7, 2015 |
| 2014 | Tuesday | April 22, 2014 |
| 2013 | Tuesday | April 2, 2013 |
| 2012 | Tuesday | April 10, 2012 |
| 2011 | Tuesday | April 26, 2011 |
| 2010 | Tuesday | April 6, 2010 |
Note: Holiday dates may vary. Some holidays follow lunar calendars or have different observance dates. Purple indicates weekends.
About New Zealand
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- NZ
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- Oceania
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- 19