Waka of Plenty: Second of the big artworks on Cape Coast trail unveiled

Ricks Terstappen with The Waka of Plenty (Te Waka Huhua) sculpture he created. Photo / Warren Buckland

Plenty turned out to the unveiling of the Cape Coast's latest art installation as part of the Cape Coast Arts and Heritage Trust initiative.

Cape Coast Arts and Heritage Trust trustee Keith Newman said the event was a huge success and brought the community together with around 150 people turning out to the unveiling.

The second public art sculpture of the Te Matau-a-Maui Art and Heritage Trail was officially unveiled on Thursday at the Clifton Rd Reserve, Te Awanga by Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst with Haumoana School performing an original song about valuing the environment.

"It was a fabulous ceremony," Newman said.

"Everyone came together to acknowledge this special occasion and the singing from the local pupils at Haumoana School was beautiful, even Mayor Hazlehurst and some of the councillors present performed with the kids in some of the songs they knew."

The sculpture is the second of eight planned to be put on display along the Cape Coast as part of the Te Matau-a-Maui Art and Heritage Trail.

Around 150 people turned out to the unveiling of the sculpture on Thursday. Photo / Warren Buckland

The 4.5m Waka of Plenty sculpture (Te Waka Huhua) created by Hawke's Bay artist Ricks Terstappen for the Cape Coast Arts and Heritage Trust represents the abundance of produce from the land and sea from early Maori fishing villages and kumara pits to cropping, orchards and farming over many generations.

The Te Matau-a-Māui Art and Heritage Trail which runs from Black Bridge to Clifton won the Art in Public Places Award at the Hastings Landmarks Trust Awards in August and the first installation The Elixir of Life located beside the Haumoana Hall was highly commended.

Newman says they already have the third sculpture commissioned for outside Te Awanga Hall and they hope to have it unveiled early in the new year.