Sculptures gateway to river art trail

Three new sculptures have been installed at the Town Basin as part of a vision to tell the story of Whangarei through art.
The town's culture heritage and arts resource trust (Chart) has been working with three artists to install their stone sculptures at the Town Basin and at the entrance to the Aquatic Centre - another step in what is hoped will form an art trail alongside the Hatea River.
Pieces already in place include the giant sundial outside Claphams Clocks Museum, the Time Ball topping the marina office, Kap Potham's Dotti outside Reyburn House and the award-winning Wave and Waka by Chris Booth and Te Warihi Hetaraka.
The recently installed works were created in February during Whangarei's inaugural Sculpture Symposium and the artists have loaned their sculptures to the district for one year. They are also for sale. Chart North spokeswoman Trish Clarke said the trust would like to see the pieces remain so they could become permanent fixtures for Whangarei's cultural and artistic heritage, but that depended on sponsorship or funding.
The three new pieces have been installed with support from the Oxford Sports Trust and guidance from the Whangarei District Council. They include Parihaka, by Sandra Meyst, Whangarei Terenga Paraoa, by Amorangi Hikuroa and Neptune, by Tauranga artist Malcolm Sowerby.
Ms Meyst said she incorporated the qualities of Mt Parihaka into a "simple yet powerful form".
"The gullies, slopes and ridges are referenced on the top of the sculpture and the violent association with battle is suggested by the implied weapon-like shape."
Mr Hikuroa said his piece was based on the original name for Whangarei, which translated as "the gathering place of whales".
It included rei puta pendants made of sperm whale tooth, which were the symbol of a great orator, and a taurapa or waka stern post, which was a reference to Whangarei being a gathering place of rangatira or chiefs.