Pure Pākati was designed in 2014 for exclusive use by Tourism New Zealand. Rangi Kipa deftly hand-carved the letterforms in kauri, a native species. The most important element of Pure Pākati (“pākati” means incised or notched) is the three simple niho (tooth notches) in a recurring pattern of three known as “taki toru”. In Māori culture there are many whakapapa kōrero (stories of origin) explaining taki toru. In this particular instance Rangi drew inspiration from a Polynesian migration story of Toi and his grandson Whātonga. In Pure Pākati this simple gesture speaks to Tourism New Zealand’s kaupapa of “embracing visitors as whānau”, by communicating an enduring sentiment of love and care for travellers.

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