"How might we reconnect people to te taiao (natural world) and whakapapa through storytelling that reawakens the land as a living being?"

A growing disconnection between people, place, and cultural narratives has left many unaware of the living stories that shape Aotearoa’s identity. In urban environments, Māori cosmology and ecological knowledge are often acknowledged but rarely felt, creating a gap between recognition and reconnection. As part of Te Ara Tukutuku, The Journey to Te Ao Mārama bridges clay, storytelling, and landscape to restore these relationships. 

Guided by the Hautū Waka framework, Resilio Design Process, and Te Aranga Principles, the design process embeds Kaupapa Māori values (co-design), ethical engagement, and regenerative systems thinking ensuring alignment with mana whenua aspirations and long term cultural integrity. 

Visitors begin their journey at a signpost activating a digital storytelling portal, leading along a path of carved clay posts, each representing a stage in the Māori creation story, from the embrace of Ranginui and Papatūānuku to their separation and the emergence of light and life. The experience extends digitally through an integrated website, visualised as an inspired extension of audo.co.nz, allowing deeper exploration beyond the physical path. 

Flowing across physical, digital, and emotional dimensions, The Journey to Te Ao Mārama transforms Te Ara Tukutuku into a living cultural landscape cultivating belonging, empathy, and kaitiakitanga. It reimagines storytelling as a regenerative act, restoring relationships between people and whenua, and inviting visitors not just to walk the land, but to understand its living spirit.