Rock art was photographed by Geoff Cloake. Image used with the permission from Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Centre and Te Rūnanga o Moeraki. - Caroline Bay Playground 2024, photo by Roselyn Fauth
Caroline Bay Playground
1 Virtue Ave
Rock Art Mural – Entrance Shelter
Where did this mural come from?
The rock art mural at the entrance shelter is a reproduction of original Māori rock art from the Takiroa site near Duntroon, in the Waitaki Valley. The original piece is housed at the Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Centre in Timaru. This reproduction was created with permission and collaboration from local rūnanga, and it should not be reproduced without consent.
What might this image be telling us?
Although the original meaning of the rock art has been lost, some believe it connects to the ancestral story of the waka Ārai-te-uru. This legendary canoe is said to have travelled down the coast past present-day Timaru, eventually capsizing near Matakaea (Shag Point).
Can you imagine ancestors turning into the land?
According to the tradition, many passengers of Ārai-te-uru went ashore to explore but did not return before sunrise. They were transformed into the landscape itself. Aoraki (Mount Cook), standing on the shoulders of his grandfather Kirikirikatata, is central to Ngāi Tahu creation stories. Other transformed passengers include Pātītī (Patiti Point), Tarahaoa and Hua-te-kerekere (Big and Little Mount Peel). These stories explain why mountains and landmarks across Te Waipounamu are considered sacred.
Did you know Timaru has over 761 rock art sites in Te Waipounamu (the South Island) and South Canterbury is home to over half of them?
The Timaru region is rich in Māori rock art, with over 500 known images. Their meanings remain largely unknown, inviting interpretation and storytelling. This mural is part of that tradition—helping bring ancestral narratives into modern spaces.
What inspired the Caroline Bay Playground?
The Caroline Bay Playground was driven by a volunteer-led community initiative. Opened in 2023, it aimed to be fun, accessible, and meaningful. Its design draws on the stories of land and people, featuring themes such as creation traditions, geology, sea voyages, mahika kai, native species, shipwrecks, and migration.
How does this space help us connect past and present?
By blending play with storytelling, the Caroline Bay Playground and its features—like the mural—invite visitors of all ages to engage with the rich cultural heritage of Te Waipounamu. It offers a way to aknowledge and honour the past while creating shared experiences in the present.
Piece of rock art on display at the Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre in Timaru. Photograph by Geoff Cloake. Image used with the permission from Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Centre and Te Rūnanga o Moeraki.
Some say this image could depict a creation story of an ancestral waka, the Ārai-te-uru which sailed past what is now known as Te Tihi-o-Maru (Timaru), down the coast and capsized near Matakaea (Shag Point). Many of the passengers went ashore to explore the land and did not make it back to the waka before daylight. Instead they turned into many of the landmarks of Te Waipounamu (South Island). Aoraki (Mount Cook) is at the centre of the Ngāi Tahu creation traditions of Te Waipounamu (South Island). Aoraki (Cloud in the Sky) is on his grandfather Kirikirikatata shoulders. Pātītī (Patiti Point) and Tarahaoa and Hua-te-kerekere (Big Mount Peel and Little Mount Peel) were also passengers. This is why Aotearoa (New Zealand) maunga (mountains) are sacred. This piece of rock art was removed from Takiroa (Waitaki Valley) and is on display at Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre. The rock art was photographed by Geoff Cloake and reproduced with the permission of Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, Arowhenua and Waihao. Please do not reproduce this rock art image without permission.
The rock art piece featured at the Caroline Bay Playground that is on display at Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre in Timaru, was removed by J.L. Elmore from Takiroa. The removal was part of early efforts to preserve the artworks around 1913 for display in museum collections. Though such actions are now viewed with greater cultural sensitivity. The historic area is among the most recognised Māori rock art sites in New Zealand. It features painted rock art on a limestone outcrop, some of which is thought to pre-date European arrival. The site also includes evidence of both pre- and post-contact Māori occupation. The Takiroa site is professionally interpreted and is accessed by a paved footpath. The Takiroa site is managed by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, who oversee its preservation and cultural significance. The site features a limestone rock shelter containing several pieces of Māori rock art, dating between 1400 and 1900 AD. The shelter is open to public viewing, with fences constructed to protect the artwork from damage. The Māori drawings made from ochre, bird fat, and charcoal.
Takiroa Rock Art Shelter (c. 1400-1900). Kurow-Duntroon Road (State Highway 83), DUNTROON. Get Directions - Google Map