The bright colours and patterns give an essence of the fun that whales seem to have when breaching, spinning and flicking their flukes. Much like being at a really fun pool party in the enormous pool in Auckland’s backyard.
Whangaparaoa literal translation is “Bay of Sperm Whales” and so a whale tail is an apt artwork to be part of the Treasure Hunt.
Sometime prior to 800AD, New Zealand was discovered and settled by Polynesian people who had travelled on epic voyages from the group of islands known today as East Polynesia.
They were the descendants of an ancient culture which originated in South-East Asia some four thousand years ago.
Several of the voyaging canoes from Polynesia extensively explored the New Zealand coastline and systematic migration and colonisation of the new land, Aotearoa New Zealand, took place over a number of generations until around the 14th century.
It is believed at that time that the two canoes, Tainui and Arawa, which travelled south in the great migration found a dead whale on the beach where they landed in East Cape and fought over it. This is where the original name Whangaparāoa (Bay of Sperm Whales) originated. The Tainui canoe subsequently travelled around much of the New Zealand coastline as far as North Cape before returning to Tamaki and it is believed they may have named the northern Whangaparāoa. Certainly, this name has been in use since before early European contact.
Whangaparāoa Treasure Hunt: This artwork was originally part of the WWF Whale Tails Art Trail in 2022 and will be one of a number, the others by local artists to be incorporated into a 14 km long walking trail showcasing our beautiful Peninsula currently under development by Business Whangaparāoa.
Read more about our Whangaparaoa Treasure Hunt and our other artwork "Whangaparaoa - Bay of Whales" displayed here in Whangaparaoa Library
A huge thank you to our trail major sponsors –
