"Te Ara Ki Te Rawhiti". Waiotahi Beach. New Zealand.
S 37° 59.510 E 177° 14.140
60H E 520693 N 5795064
"Te Ara Ki Te Rawhiti" The Pathway to the Sunrise, these pouwhenua or pou (carved pillars) stand side by side beside the beach at Waiotahi, on the coast road to Opotiki, facing the direction of the first sunrise of the world's new day.
Waymark Code: WM7485
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 08/30/2009
Views: 2
These totem poles, a creative concept by Graham Hayward, were carved by Heke Collier. Located at Waiotahi Beach on State Highway 2, these carved pou depict the story of Maori and Pakeha interaction in the settlement of the Opotiki district.
First located near the Waiotahi River Mouth, these carvings were relocated in 1996 due to the threat of erosion. They were unveiled in 1991 by the Governor General of New Zealand.
The first carving tells the story of Tarawa, who sailed with his brother Tawharanui from Hawaiki. They brought two pet tanahanaha fish and released them in a small spring close by. The spring became known as Opotiki-mai-tawhiti, ‘two pets from afar’, and the name of Opotiki township recalls the event. The carving also shows the two voyaging canoes, Te Arautauta and Te Tohora.
The soldier on the second pillar stands for the arrival of Pakeha to the area, and the woman beside him for the togetherness of the two peoples. Above the figures is a kotuku (white heron), which was the symbol for the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1990.
Type of wood carving: Totem pole
Other type:
These are actually Maori carvings known as pouwhenua or pou (carved pillars).
Artist's Name: Heke Collier
Approximate size/height: approx. 30 feet
Type of wood: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
All logs must be the result of an actual visit to the wooden carving.
"Visited" only remarks will not be accepted.