Story By Roselyn Fauth

Artist Francine Spencer with taniwha that she designed for CPlay.

A new addition to the Caroline Bay Playground in South Canterbury has been gifted to inspire imaginative play and deepen cultural connections. The Taniwha drawing will be recreated on the rubber playground surface as a 12-meter-long mythical creature lurking in the sea beneath the flying fox.

"The Taniwha artwork adds a playful element to the 50m tandem flying fox, inspiring children and adults to pretend they are on a sea rescue mission. They could be the heros saving those stuck on a sinking ship. Or pretend they are quickly evacuating to reach the safety of the shore. A supernatural creature lurks in the ocean below. While using the flying fox, people could choose, will the taniwha protect them and help them to shore, or will it reach out and grab people with a claw, sting with a tail, or bite with its powerful jaws. This is a really fun element to bring more imaginative play to the equipment, share stories and connect to our local Māori culture," said CPlay volunteer Roselyn Fauth.

The Taniwha artwork is a nod to the importance of the natural world and the spiritual connections that Māori have with it. "Taniwha are considered to be powerful guardians of the land, waterways, and natural features such as mountains, forests, and rivers," said CPlay volunteer and artist Francine Spencer.

ABOVE - Artwork by Francine Spencer, Artist and CPlay Volunteer. Image not to be reproduced with out permission.

• Taniwha artwork was gifted to CPlay volunteers to re-create in the surfacing of the Caroline Bay Playground in South Canterbury.
• 12-meter-long mythical creature was installed under flying fox.
• Inspires imaginative play, connection to culture, local stories, and art.
• Sparks sea rescue missions and imaginative play in an area also themed to sea rescue.
• Taniwha adds excitement as protector or obstacle and symbolizes a supernatural force protecting surroundings, and environmental guardianship.
• Artistic creation by local Māori artist Francine Spencer.
• Scanning and preparation of the digital file was by Creo playground landscape architects.
• Construction plans and rubber installation by Numat, playground surfacing provider.
• On-going role of Taniwha to inspires play, learning, and cultural connection.

This is a great example of how playgrounds can incorporate elements of cultural significance while providing a space for children and their friends and families to learn and grow. It is expected to be used as an education tool to promote greater understanding and appreciation of the local area and stories among students.

"One of our key goals for the new Caroline Bay Playground was to inspire and promote imaginative play for childhood development. We recognised the benefits for cognitive, social, and physical growth and wanted to enable the power of playful learning to enhance skills like creativity, problem-solving, empathy, and cooperation. The playground integrates local stories and culture to provide a meaningful context, fostering a sense of identity. Involvement of trusted adults during imaginative play strengthens relationships and facilitates shared learning experiences, contributing to overall personal development and community connection." said CPlay volunteer Roselyn Fauth.

"We will be able to meet with schools in a free to use public place where they can play and learn about our local area and stories. This is an amazing opportunity to promote greater understanding and appreciation of our cultures and broaden their horizons and introduce them to new ideas and perspectives and promote inclusivity and diversity. This also helps to create a sense of belonging and connectedness within the community," said South Canterbury Museum Educator Keely Kroening. 

ABOVE: A working drawing of the playground shows the rubber surfacing design will incorporate the Taniwha illustration by Francine Spencer. Image not to be reproduced with out permission.

Francine Spencer's tribal affiliations are her father; Taranaki, Mother; Waitaha, Kati Mamoe; Rapuwai, and Ngāi Tahu). She is a multimedia artist and a Arowhenua representative. She studied at Toihoukura in Gisborne, Māori Visual art and design, where she learnt traditional knowledge and practice's Māori. Leaving with a degree in fine arts.

"We were brainstorming ideas of what images we could include in the flying fox area, and I knew a taniwha would be perfect, so I donated my taniwha drawing for CPlay to incorporate," Spencer said.

When asked about how her art has been inspired, she said "My art is not mine, but the art of my people." 

There are hundreds of centuries-old rock art sites in South Canterbury. One of the more well known rock art sites is at Opihi. Her tīpuna created rock art and utilised the area for mahika kai (the collection of resources). Some say the art here depicts taniwha, a mythical monster of Māori tradition, which was described as a gigantic reptile lurking in deep pools. 

Taniwha can be seen as symbols of kaitiakitanga, as they represent a supernatural force that watches over and protects the environment.

The word "Taniwha" comes from the Māori language and is often translated as "monster" or "spirit." For Arowhenua, the Taniwha represents a kaitiaki (guardian). They are supernatural beings. Taniwha  that reside in waterways, are known as "taniwha wai", and are said to safeguard those who use them. A taniwha may make its presence known through unusual weather patterns, changes in water levels, or the behavior of animals.

A taniwha may also serve as a warning. There is a belief that if a taniwha is present in a particular water body, it is considered unsafe to swim or fish in that area. Therefore, although taniwha are often depicted as powerful and occasionally intimidating beings in Māori culture, they may also provide guidance and protection.

Traditionally, Māori believe there is a deep kinship between humans and the natural world. This connection is expressed through kaitiakitanga – a way of managing the environment. A kaitiaki is a guardian, such as a person or group that cares for an area.

In the past, people followed traditional practices when they were hunting, fishing, growing or finding food. These helped them to care for the environment. They included:

• Temporary bans (rāhui) on taking food from an area.
• Using the lunar calendar (maramataka) to decide when to plant and harvest.
• Taking only what was needed.
• Hunting and fishing only for food, not as sport.
• Using bird snares at the right time – for example, not when the birds were breeding.

Manaia Symbolism and Meaning:

• Maori spiritual guardian with supernatural powers.
• Messenger between mortal realm and spirit world.
• Offers protection against evil.
• Guides a person's spirit to its destined place.

Physical Representation:

• Head of a bird.
• Body of a human.
• Tail of a fish.
• Symbolizes balance between sky, land, and water.

Finger Symbolism:

• Often portrayed with three fingers, representing birth, life, and death. Sometimes a fourth finger added for afterlife representation.

Large eels were kept as pets or regarded as taniwha

Tuna (eels) were thought to have a divine origin, emerging from the head of the eel god Tunaroa. When Tunaroa attacked Māui’s wife Hina, Māui sought revenge. He dug a trench and lured Tunaroa into the shallow waters, before hacking him to pieces with an adze. The tail of Tunaroa was thrown in the ocean and became the sea-going conger eels, his nostril hairs became the supplejack vines of the forest, and his head fell in the river and gave rise to the freshwater eels.

Illustration of a longfin eel by Frank Edward Clarke, 1875. (Te Papa, 1992-0035-2278/17)

The mound progress June 2022 for the flying fox themed to sea rescue with the Rocket Brigade. - Drone Photography by Jack Rushton

Behind the scenes at Creo and Numat to create our giant taniwha for the flying fox mound - Photography by Numat July 2023.

Creo team scanned Francine Spencers artwork and created a digital file. This was prepared to direct the team how to construct and install it. 

Plans and template created by Creo for the Numat team to construct.