Skip to main content

Story: Public and street art

Ralph Hōtere, 'The flight of the godwit'

Ralph Hōtere painted 'The flight of the godwit',an 18-metre long mural, for Auckland airport in 1977. This work joined murals by Pat Hanly and Robert Ellis at the airport. After the airport was redesigned in 1996, Hōtere's work was given to the Chartwell Collection, along with Hanly's 'Prelude to a journey'. It was later gifted to the Auckland Art Gallery and renamed 'Godwit/kuaka' by the artist.

Using this item

Auckland Art Gallery – Toi o Tāmaki

Reference: C1997/1/1/1-15

by Ralph Hotere

Courtesy of the Hotere Foundation Trust

Permission of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Public and street art – Murals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/44476/ralph-hotere-the-flight-of-the-godwit (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 12 March 2014.