Fronds, food, friends and family: Local artist turns tables and heads with NZ-first installation in Hawke’s Bay

Hawke's Bay landscape artist Josh Lancaster with his newly commissioned 'connection table', situated along the Te Awanga coast cycleway. Photo / Paul Taylor

Forget tattered wooden umbrellas and bird poo-stained wooden planks, Hawke’s Bay’s newest art installation is ‘turning tables’ - and heads - along the coastal cycle trail between Haumoana and Te Awanga.

The umbrella-like design of the nīkau palm is a centrepiece of Hawke’s Bay landscape artist Josh Lancaster’s new ‘connection table’, one of three commissioned by Wattie’s in a bid to promote communal eating.

“I love gardening and I love natives, so pulling the two things together felt like a great way to provide a space where people could connect together and connect with nature at the same time,” Lancaster told Hawke’s Bay Today.

The table is made out of river stones, so the rain can fall through the table and hit the roots of the nīkau while also providing shade. This will help grow the tree and provide an environment where local wildlife can flourish.

It also has a selfie stand so friends and whānau can capture their experiences.

“Often my attention is drawn to a particular nīkau palm in my garden, as pīwakawaka dart about its towering fronds chasing bugs, or perhaps a kererū stops in to gorge on its berries,” Lancaster said.

“I wanted my table to offer people the chance to enjoy something similar.”

People were already flocking to the site. Photo / Paul Taylor

Wattie’s head of marketing Justine Powell said the location of the first table was incredibly important.

“Wattie’s has been at the centre of Kiwi’s tables and the Hawke’s Bay community since 1934, so we know well the power of connection.

“We wanted to create the tables as an everlasting and memorable way for Kiwi families to come together and share time.”

The next two tables will start to appear in Nelson and Mangawhai Heads over the coming months.

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.