Matala Navigators

Matala Navigators ‘Honouring our past, Shaping our future’ Connection • Culture • Community

“HE WAKA NOA EKE NOA” - We are all in this together We’ve loved journeying across the Pacific again with our Amaze Educa...
01/05/2026

“HE WAKA NOA EKE NOA” - We are all in this together

We’ve loved journeying across the Pacific again with our Amaze Education tamariki through Pacific song, dance & art.

Each week we build on our learning, deepening connection & confidence. Our program celebrates Pacific cultural arts while aligning with the Early Years Learning Framework; supporting identity, belonging, and creative expression.

Pasifika Cultural Youth ProgramWe’ve been a little quiet lately, but behind the scenes we’ve still been creating and del...
17/04/2026

Pasifika Cultural Youth Program

We’ve been a little quiet lately, but behind the scenes we’ve still been creating and delivering.

We were blessed to deliver a Pasifika Cultural Youth Program at Bellbird Park State Secondary College (Grades 7-10), with a focus on Tonga 🇹🇴

We explored Tongan culture, language, traditional arts, dance, music, and food, sharing ancestral knowledge that continues to shape identity today.

It was a joy seeing students grow in confidence through connecting with culture (especially the food 👀🤣)

Mālō ‘aupito to Bellbird Park State Secondary College for the opportunity. We look forward to more cultural learning experiences through Pacific arts and storytelling.

WAITANGI DAY 🖤🤍❤️Over the weekend we gathered in Ipswich to acknowledge Waitangi Day and the signing of Te Tiriti o Wait...
09/02/2026

WAITANGI DAY 🖤🤍❤️

Over the weekend we gathered in Ipswich to acknowledge Waitangi Day and the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi on 6 February 1840, a cornerstone of Aotearoa’s past, present and future.

It was a privilege to organise this year’s Tamariki Village with the generous support of . Our beautiful Waharoa, created by local Māori tā moko artist , set the scene as tamariki walked through to celebrate; making poi, tāonga uku, tīpare, painting kōhatu, and receiving tā moko that reflected who they are and where they come from.

Ngā mihi to Julie Kohu, local Māori author, for sharing her book “What do you reckon Poppy?” and singing waiata with our tamariki.

Please continue to support our artists and creatives; they are the keepers of our ancestral stories.

To our volunteers, thank you for your time and aroha.
And to and the organising team, ngā mihi nui for the opportunity to create such a meaningful space for our tamariki.

2025 has been massive, and we are incredibly grateful and blessed to have had so many opportunities to serve our communi...
24/12/2025

2025 has been massive, and we are incredibly grateful and blessed to have had so many opportunities to serve our communities; especially our tamariki, by sharing Pacific Island cultures through storybooks, songs, dance, and crafts.

We believe our children are the future. Giving them the chance to see, hear, touch, and feel what makes our cultures so rich helps ground them in who they are and where they come from. We hope they continue to carry and pass on what we’ve shared to future generations.

To everyone who believed in our vision and trusted us to bring it to life, mālō ‘aupito and ngā mihi nui. We are so excited to keep reading, singing, dancing, and crafting with tamariki across Queensland in 2026.

Until then, ‘ofa ke mou ma’u ha Kilisimasi fiefia mo e ta’u fo’ou monū’ia.
Merry Christmas 🎄 and a Happy New Year.

Ann, Mele & Uncle Gus

We loved stepping out of Ipswich and spending time with our Tamariki at Play and Learn Deception Bay. Mālō ‘aupito for t...
06/12/2025

We loved stepping out of Ipswich and spending time with our Tamariki at Play and Learn Deception Bay. Mālō ‘aupito for the opportunity to explore the Pacific Islands with you all. Excited to collaborate again in the future.

We had such a beautiful time exploring the rich sounds of the Pacific Islands with the children at Goodna Kids Early Lea...
04/12/2025

We had such a beautiful time exploring the rich sounds of the Pacific Islands with the children at Goodna Kids Early Learning Centre. Many of us forget or have never had the chance to experience sounds of the fangufangu (nose flute), the kele’a (conch shell), or the lali (wooden drum). It was so special to weave these instruments into our storytelling.

The children also created their own Tongan nafa (drum) to take home, a little piece of the Pacific they can hold onto and share.

The children at Goodna Kids Early Learning Centre making their own version of a Tongan Nafa as we explored Pacific Islan...
29/11/2025

The children at Goodna Kids Early Learning Centre making their own version of a Tongan Nafa as we explored Pacific Island Music & Sounds.

Address

2 Alesana Drive
Bellbird Park, QLD
4300

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 2pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Matala Navigators posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Matala Navigators:

Share