One of the objectives of the recent address by Professor James Renwick was to raise awareness of the proposed entrance way sculpture into Kerikeri, Waipapa and the surrounding Bay of Islands which Te Runanga o Ngati Rehia have invited local Kerikeri sculptor Chris Booth to design.

The sculpture named Te Haa o Te Ao (The Breath of the World) is aimed at raising awareness in locals and visitors about the greatest threat humanity is facing: climate change.

It will be 10m tall with 55 locally sourced boulders simulating Poi that are suspended from a central Pou by stainless steel cables (see image). The cables will reflect the light of the sun and make music in the wind.

The Pou will be topped by a sculpture by Tuauahiroa Hei Hei made of cast metal in the form of the three heads of three native birds, the kahu (hawk) facing southwards towards oncoming traffic, the tui facing west into the bush and the kawau (shag) facing seawards.

With a winch, the collar over the wires can be moved up and down, causing the Poi (boulders) to rise "like a birds wing". The sculpture being under high tension means that we are in a state of conflict with the environment.School children will be tasked to develop criteria for measuring the state of the environment and then initiate the respective movement of the poi to indicate "alarm" or "relax".

The scupture will not only be a signal point to the entry of Kerikeri but is also a way of helping to increase awareness on an issue that is going to have a significant impact on our children and grandchildren if it is not addressed now.

The completion of the project is dependent upon fundraising. If you would like to contribute we have included a link to the prospectus that provides details on how to do that.

Download Prospectus (PDF) - This includes more details and images of the sculpture.