Skip to main content

Story: Whakairo – Māori carving

Modern marae: Takahanga

Image
Modern marae: Takahanga

Takahanga marae, overlooking the town of Kaikōura, was opened in 1992, although its site has been occupied for about 800 years. Kaikōura relies on tourist income, and the marae was designed with this and other non-traditional uses in mind. Its carvings include this representation of Paikea, a legendary whale rider. The marae also features major site-specific sculptures and other artworks by both Māori and non-Māori artists.

Using this item

Whale Watch Kaikoura

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Brett Graham, Whakairo – Māori carving – Carving in urban environments, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/43115/modern-marae-takahanga (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Brett Graham, published 21 October 2013.