Te Waka Pu Whenua opened its doors in the tenth month of the Maori year, Poutu-te-Rangi (29 March 1999).
Pu Whenua
An artistic expression of the elements used to transport ancient knowledge from one whenua (Hawaiki) to another (Aotearoa).
Artist: David Manganui Tarawa.
Painted in 1993.
Poutu - Te - Rangi
Sculpted by carver Tairoa Flanagan and gifted to Te Waka Pu Whenua, January 2002.
The carved symbols represent a number of features supporting guardianship of the wisdom and knowledge passed on to mankind through the spiritual and physical worlds of ancient Maori.
This piece was carved from rimu and stands 4 meters in the office reception area.