08/10/2025
Waka Moana: A Fusion of Culture, Craft, and Collaboration
At SRS Group, we’re proud to have contributed to a project that goes beyond fabrication, one that honours heritage, elevates artistry, and brings together some of Aotearoa’s most talented minds.
Waka Moana, the newest public artwork in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, is a powerful tribute to the maritime traditions of Māori voyagers and the cultural richness of Tāmaki Makaurau. Designed by lead artist Graham Tipene, the installation features nine six-metre waka hulls in a striking taratara-a-kae (zig-zag) formation along Daldy Street Linear Park.
Each waka tells a story: of waka hourua (double-hull ocean-going vessels) and waka tētē (local transport and fishing vessels), taonga (precious items) and punga (traditional anchors), pā tūwatawata (defensive fencing), and pūhoro (tā moko motifs symbolising speed and agility).
To realise this vision, SRS Group applied its expertise in project management and custom fabrication, working alongside an incredible team of collaborators:
Auckland Urban Development and Auckland Council Public Art Team - Cultural & Civic vision
LandLAB – Urban design
Contrax Greenscapes – Tōtara framework integration
Innovate Composites – Muka-infused GRP hulls
JFC – Civil and landscape works
Our carefully curated team manufactured the waka using a fusion of traditional tōtara and muka fibre with modern composites: structurally sound, culturally respectful, and visually striking.
This project is a powerful example of how collaboration across disciplines, from artists and iwi to engineers and urban designers, can create spaces that connect people to place, history, and each other.
Waka Moana is more than art. It’s a journey. It’s Tāmaki Herenga Waka.
📸 Thank you Auckland Council for capturing the journey of workmanship and installation.
Bespoke Timber Design Innovate Composites Auckland Council Auckland Urban Development Office
