Te Waka a Māui - the gateway to Wairau
A new pou whenua marks the gateway to Wairau at the Blenheim Airport roundabout.
On Friday morning, alongside Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Rangitāne o Wairau, NZ Transport Agency, and the Wairau Airport, we had the honour of unveiling and blessing the new pou whenua at the Blenheim Airport roundabout.
Named Te Waka a Māui, this striking pou whenua marks the gateway to Wairau, honouring the ancestral waka traditions and the enduring legacy of Māui that are central to the identity of Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui.
Crafted from steel and standing as a marker of arrival, identity, and connection, the pou depicts a waka turned upright—no longer voyaging across the waters but standing as a guardian and storyteller.
May Te Waka a Māui stand as a lasting reminder of those who first navigated these waters and forged enduring connections with this whenua. Though the waka now stands at rest, the journey of our people continues.
