Final pou of Ātea a Rangi star compass at Waitangi Regional Park welcomed

Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust trustee Phillip Smith at a dawn ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Ātea a Rangi star compass and a waharoa (gateway) yesterday. Photo / Duncan Brown

More than 100 people welcomed the final pou to complete the Ātea a Rangi star compass and a waharoa (gateway) at Waitangi Regional Park yesterday.

A dawn summer solstice ceremony was held at 5.30am to mark the completion of the year-long collaborative project by Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust, Te Matau a Māui Voyaging Trust and Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC).

HBRC chairman Rex Graham said the compass celebrates the country's history, is a stunning tourist attraction and a learning instrument for children to find out more about traditional navigation.

"It was a spectacular occasion ... a large amount of people were out to celebrate not just that we have a great park but a special compass in the middle of it."

The final poles include four "Rā" and four "Kore" pou, which represent points on the star compass used to group the rising and setting points of the stars, the sun and the moon.

A waharoa in the shape of a waka hourua (double-hulled sailing canoe) has also been completed for this final phase.

These have been created by head carvers from Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust, Nathan Foote and Phil Belcher, who have been teaching whakairo (carving) to Rangitane Taurima, Paora Puketapu, Te Kaha Hawaikirangi, Phillip Smith and Deon Wong over the past year.

The waharoa and pou have been carved from fallen native logs supplied by Rayonier–Matariki Forests and from recycled power poles from Unison.

Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust trustee Phillip Smith said they would be organising some "exciting" educational programmes for next year and looking to teach navigation to waka crews through the Pacific.

The site also displays information on the many historic events around Waitangi Regional Park, including the arrival of early Maori ancestors, James Cook on the Endeavour, and the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

"We have had Pat Parson helping us with historic korero for this area, which is rich in both Māori and European history, and signposts will explain a lot of this to visitors and tourists to the site."

Rayonier relationship manager Mathew Croft said the team at Rayonier-Matariki Forests were proud to support such a great initiative.

"For us, seeing the transformation of the fallen native logs from the forest floor to a real asset for the local community is very rewarding."

Unison relationship manager Danny Gough said the star compass provides a great opportunity to teach Maori astronomy and traditional navigation, local history and the environment, all of which add to the cultural richness of Hawke's Bay.

The area was opened in stages with the first carvings being installed at last year's summer solstice in December, this year's autumn equinox, winter solstice, spring equinox and yesterday's summer solstice.

The solstice rocks and 32 carved pou at the 50m-wide site are part of a transformation of the park that has included new wetland areas, pathways and plantings.