Kiwi Stonehenge

June 5 saw the opening of NZ’s very own Stonehenge, erected in the Wairarapa by the Phoenix Astronomical Society. More than simply a replica of its northern predecessor, the Kiwi henge is a celestial calendar of the southern skies. Its stones mark events ranging from the summer and winter solstices to the best times for planting kumara, as well as demonstrating the navigation techniques of our original Polynesian settlers. Phoenix Astronomical Society president, Richard Hall: “The whole idea of the henge is that people can come out here and learn real basic astronomy, the real foundations of what astronomy is all about.”