Te Puka (The Anchor Stone)
Stewart Island / Rakiura, New Zealand
A giant chain sculpture that plays on the Māori myth that Rakiura (Stewart Island) is an anchor stone chained to the South Island.
Chain Link Sculpture around the Rakiura Track Wellyrunner (Atlas Obscura User)
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A 100-meter walk down the Rakiura Track from the car park reveals a giant chain emerging from the tussock and sinking into the sand. This sculpture plays on the idea that Stewart Island (Rakiura) is physically connected to the South Island. There is a matching sculpture on the South Island at Bluff.
According to Māori folklore, the South Island was demigod Māui’s canoe (te waka a Māui) and Rakiura was the canoe’s anchor stone. The sculpture is formally known as te puka (the anchor stone).
Know Before You Go
Access is very easy along the gravel, all-weather track.
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