For Taranaki people heading home from the north, this is a sign they have made it safely through the winding, gear-grinding gorges and can swoosh south on easier roads. Some see the landmark as a farewell sign and a more difficult journey northwards.
Others see the prow for what it is - the mark of respect for one of Aotearoa's great men and a Taranaki treasure. This is the memorial for Te Rangi Hiroa, also known as Sir Peter Buck.
This powerful symbol, which appears to be surfing a giant wave of green, is on the site of the Okoki Pa, the home of the Ngati Mutunga people. This is where Peter's ashes were interred over 50 years ago.
The structure was built of reinforced concrete, faced with coloured plaster. In the use of colours, reliance has been placed to a considerable extent on the colours used in traditional Maori decoration. The rib supporting the memorial feature is white, the enclosed panel terracotta and the platform and vault a slate grey. Against the background of bush the white and terracotta colours make a striking display and is clearly visible from the main New Plymouth-Auckland road (SH3), which runs at right angles to the axis of the memorial, one-third of a mile away.
Sir Peter died in Honolulu on 1 December 1951. Two years later his ashes were brought back and laid to rest in a huge ceremony at the hill fort of Okoki on 8 August 1954. More than 6000 people, both Maori and Pakeha, attended the farewell for this great man.
So, next time you pass that thrusting canoe prow riding high on a froth of green bush above Urenui, don't worry about the road ahead.
Instead, think about another life, one that began on the banks of the wide, swirling Urenui River and ended on an island far away.
Think of the roads Peter travelled, the knowledge he shared, the people he cared for and the quiet humour and gentleness that made him a great, but humble leader.
Sir Peter Buck's mana will live on forever
Access is clearly signed from SH3 and is via a well-worn but sometimes slippy track to a turning head on grass, below the memorial. A short walk will take you to the boundary fence and the geocache, which is placed outside the Pa in deference to the history of the site. Beyond the gateway, a set of overgrown steps to the right leads you into the Pa site and closer to the memorial. Please respect the site and with a bit of CITO we will leave the site better for the visits.
:-) FTF goes to Priceless Time, well done on a quick find.. :-)