“The old navigators of these oceans saw Aotearoa as ‘The land of the long white cloud.’ They saw Maui standing on his waka, tussling with his great Ika on the surface of the vast moana. Through stories like these, we understand the behaviour of land and ocean across time and space.

Guided by these understandings, people of the old world aligned their activities with the rhythms of the natural environment. As time and space entities, they interpreted these rhythms, translating them into abstract patterns, lines, and sculptural forms that continue to inspire people of Moana Oceania today.

Communities living in Aotearoa today also recognise similar patterns and rhythms within their own traditions. These artworks express a shared way of seeing: looking from the old world through the present and into the emerging futures, reminding us of our communities’ continual evolution. The lines and spaces within these forms speak to the interconnectedness we all share.” – Tavakefai’ana Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine.

In this new version, created for this significant site linking Te Whau Awa and the Waitematā Harbour, the marker continues to embody the narrative of Toutai-ā-Māui (Māui’s Catch) through its shape and form. It also incorporates the Whau leaf motif developed by Tyler Taua-Gordon (Te Kawerau ā Maki) and inspired by the words of Robin Taua-Gordon’s, which can be read along the pathways handrails. At the marker’s base is the form of Te Whau Awa and its many branching streams. Together, these elements reflect the many connections—cultural, ecological, and communal—held within this pathway.