Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa, Gisborne

Sited along Te Ara Tawhito, an ancestral pathway, this Pae comprises approximately 75 aluminium pou arranged in a roughly circular formation. Three interconnected segments acknowledge Te Whānau-a-Kai, Douglas Cook, and H.B. Williams. Three limestone seats align with the three entryways to frame significant maunga in the distance. A central receptacle serves as hearth, table, and gathering platform.

Designer Raphaela Rose, of ahha, writes:

"Encircling the centre, the aluminium pou shift subtly in tone as they move around the ring. Their differing shades catch the light of both daylight and moonlight, creating a sense of rhythm and movement that changes with time and weather. Embracing the site’s high wind zone, the pou respond audibly to their environment, whistling softly as air passes through them, allowing the site itself to speak. Beyond the Pae, indigenous planting extends the work into the surrounding landscape, reconnecting it to patterns of seasonal cultivation and care that once shaped this place.

By foregrounding stories of care, exchange, and foresight, the Pae empowers visitors to look forward as custodians. It encourages environmental action through the regeneration of whenua and whakapapa together, enacted through attention, reciprocity, and storytelling. As visitors continue along Te Ara Tawhito, they carry with them an invitation: to act with care, to share knowledge, and to contribute to the living network that sustains this place into the future."