NATIVE REMEDIES

NATIVE REMEDIES is a 'native Maori tea' walk located in the fernery of the Auckland Domain Wintergardens. It is designed to evoke the brewing thoughts of the rich history of us, these native faunas and the people of this land (tangata whenua). Known for their spiritual connection to the land and their ancestors, Rongoa Maori is a sacred practice that has been brought back to the community.

 

Five carefully curated native New Zealand tea plants are transformed into spatial experiences of light, shadow, colour,  pattern, and time. The plants featured on this walk include Manuka, Horoptio, Koromiko, Kumarahau and Kawawkawa which all have a rich history of use in holistic Maori medicine and healing.

 

Inspired by the public cubicles at the Rotorua Redwoods, the tea shrouds aim to entice, educate, and absorb visitors, reflecting and narrating stories of the past. In addition, these plants will be scattered and growing throughout the Wintergardens fernery which will act as the source of the teas that the visitors can take and share at the central tea hut. To live off the land Papatuanuku- Earth Mother is a strong element in Maori culture and tradition which my proposal will acknowledge and respect.

 

The tea hut and shrouds are welded from recycled corten steel. The temporal element of the weathered steel reflects the aging of knowledge as it gets passed down through generations. The bases of the shrouds are made of volcanic basalt rock which reflects the geological history of the site of Auckland Domain - once being Pukekewa Volcano. It grounds the experience in its physical past which contrasts with the post-colonial change of the land, culture, and people.