The guys from A Supported Life and myself drove up to rural North Auckland in a large HiAce van to pick up great thick slabs of macrocarpa. The plan was to create giant Inanga (whitebait) sculptures that would be anchored into the ground and the reeds alongside Henderson creek, West Auckland.
The positioning of the sculptures was important – we would screw them into the area alongside where the fresh water meets the salty moving up from the Waitemata harbour –where the Inanga lay their eggs on the reeds and grasses alongside the creek.
So after the wonderful Richard Van Bremen of Cartwright Woodworkers donated his time and energy machine cutting the Inanga forms the guys got to work painting the true to colour and design patterns on the Pou (totems)
It was a lengthy project, the thirteen pou needed lots of painting and finishing. I marked out the x spots for where the pou should be positioned and after special heavy duty screws fixed them deep into the earth we had a lively ceremony where members of the Waitakere City council came along to open the project.
The pou were to have been removed after a few months but the council so loved them they are happy to keep them there permanently and I am told they are now naming this riverside land 'Inanga Park' after the sculptures.
A very nice community project it was to facilitate!