Heritage NZ Tohu Whenua programme manager Caroline Toplis (left) Te Waipounamu Bishop the right reverend Richard Wallace, and DoC Western South Island director Mark Davies ponder the view from Te Kopikopiko o Te Waka on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Greymouth Star/Brendon McMahon
A stunning new visitor experience highlighting the beauty of Fox Glacier and representing the Ngāi Tahu creation story has been opened.
Te Kopikopiko o Te Waka, a few kilometres west of Fox Glacier township, is the first Tohu Whenua site in the South Island that represents an iwi story, and the first time a site has been nominated by mana whenua.
The newly-developed cultural heritage site was formally opened on Saturday.
Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick said it was "a great new addition" to the South Westland tourist trail.
"It's another reason to stop and interpret the beauty of Fox Glacier," he said.
"Although Aoraki is hidden by the clouds today, on a normal West Coast day this is the most beautiful site to behold of Aoraki and his brothers and framing Te Moeka o Tuawe."
It represented a national-universal story of creation: "It is the creation story that goes back to the first people of this land."
The site also gave visitors a real opportunity to view the glacier without having to walk several kilometres or take a flight.
Guests at Saturday's unveiling with the view from Te Kopikopiko o Te Waka towards Te Moeka o Tuawe/Fox Glacier. Photo: Greymouth Star/Brendon McMahon
It incorporates contemporary design by Fayne Robinson and Brent Brownlee, using traditional motifs to represent the waka, leading the visitor to view Te Moeka o Tuawe/Fox Glacier along with Aoraki-Mt Cook.
Kopikopiko o te Waka translates as "the capsized canoe" and is in direct reference to the Ngāi Tahu creation stories, Madgwick said.
Specifically, to the creation of the Southern Alps and the South Island itself, or Te Waka o Aoraki (Aoraki's canoe).
"Today the South Island is known widely as Te Waipounamu, but a much older name is Te Waka o Aoraki.
"In Ngāi Tahu mythology, Aoraki and his brothers -- all sons of Ranginui the god of the sky - made a voyage from the heavens intending to meet their father's new wife, Papatūānuku, the god of the Earth.
"However, they found only a vast ocean so they began their return to the sky but Aoraki, as the eldest and leader, forgot the karakia at the vital moment and the waka crashed back into the sea, where it remains, capsized on its side with Aoraki and his brothers all petrified as New Zealand's tallest mountains."
Madgwick said the treasured story for Ngāi Tahu was no better illustrated than at Wekeka, Fox Glacier.
Ngāti Mahaki from Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio conceived, designed and carved Te Kopikopiko o Te Waka in partnership with the Department of Conservation, Heritage NZ and the support of the community.
It was conceived in response to the natural disaster in 2019 which cut off the access road to Fox Glacier.
DOC South Westland operations manager Wayne Costello said the easy access viewpoint has unsurpassed views of the Southern Alps.
"We were confronted with what could have been a disaster for local tourism. DOC, Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio and the community came together to find solutions to sustain tourism and build the Glacier Country's economic resilience in a changing climate.
"We worked collaboratively to develop a range of alternative attractions to continue to draw visitors to this area."
This was possible after they secured $3.9 million from the International Visitor Levy (IVL), administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Costello said Te Kopikopiko o Te Waka was the last of seven visitor levy-funded projects DOC has overseen in the glacier area, including development of day walks, new glacier valley experiences, expanded cycling opportunities and improved visitor information.
* Disclosure: Te Runanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick is also the editor of the Greymouth Star. He took no part in the commissioning, writing or editing of this LDR story.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air