Hononga o te Whenua

The proposal of Hononga o te Whenua aims to revive and reimagine the existing journey of the Old Coach Road track. By speculating an alternative identity for a characteristically working rural site, this project aims to reveal and extend the native landscape while creating an intimate connection between the public. Each of the three inhabited sites embodies and frames various thresholds of human modification over the Johnsonville and Ohariu region, igniting more recognition of these past and present influences on the land that tend to be neglected.

The fibre cement-clad Macrocarpa frames offer a series of shelters for the unpredictable nature of the site. While the chosen forms and materials emulate the characteristics of the exposed rock faces embedded over the sloping hills, this act of providing shelter also suggests the uncovering of a place of refuge that was once sought in the forests that previously dominated the area by the local Māori Iwi. Māori previously called the area around Kaukau Maunga ‘Tarikaka’, meaning ‘Nest of the Kaka’, referring to its rich inhabitance of native parrots. It hasn't been established whether Māori occupied the slopes; however, the grounds were used as sources of gathering and hunting, as well as multiple linking tracks.

Call of the Land Research Document