Whatonga by Paul Horton, 2014

At the top of the two-hour Tawa Loop Track in Te Apiti stands the galvanised sculpture of Whatonga, by Rangitāne artist Paul Horton.

Whatonga was one of three recognised Chiefs on board the Kurahaupo Waka, which journeyed across the Pacific Ocean to Aotearoa, New Zealand possibly as early as the 12th Century. The Ngai Tara and Rangitāne people trace their descent from Whatonga.