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Ka Whiti Te Ra Ki Tua O Rehua Ka Ara A Kaiwhare I Te Rua

As Long as the sun shines from the East to the West Coast, Ngati Te Ata will rise from the depths of the Manukau

Ngati Te Ata is a Pukekohe-based hapū who have held the rangatiratanga, mana and kaitiakitanga of Pukekohe since time immemorial.

We were tasked with designing a multifaceted tohu (logo) that represented many elements of the history of tribe, their ties to the whenua (land), stories and mythological connections to supernatural beings ie; Te Rua o Kaiwhare (the Iwi guardian of surrounding waterways). Kaiwhare, “their tribal taniwha” and their Spiritual Guardian Uenuku (God of rainbows).

The final logo shows 'Kaihwhare - Ngati Te Ata taniwha tupuna - wrapped around the heart of the hapu', with a styalised puhoro (tattoo) in the middle, unaunahi (fish scale carving pattern) indicative of a taniwha at the base), the ridges of Uenuku (God of Rainbows) can be seen top right with a styalised pohutakawa hand sitting in the centre. This positioning of the hand is a very protective one as it's placed where the heart is (representing life) - all components are encased in a circle - giving balance to it and the hapū.