Displayed outside Arcadia Cafe on Waiheke Island, the inspiration for this commissioned work was the environment it is displayed in. The Pohutukawa growing behind the mural was the perfect starting point. The painted Pohutukawa morphs with the living tree, connecting the structure of the mural with the natural environment. 

 

The mural acknowledges some of the species that have always occupied this little valley and that now share it with us. The Kereru (Wood Pigeon), Ruru (Morepork), Piwakawaka (Fantail), Tui, the Puawhananga - Flower of the Skies (Clematis paniculata) and the native Wetapunga among others. In a way, this mural also tries to capture what David Attenborough once expressed: 

 

“ People must feel that the natural world is important and valuable and beautiful and wonderful and an amazement and a pleasure.”