As people wrap themselves in this blanket, they embody the resonance of the living environment as a single entity. Ngā wai koiora, the lifeblood that binds all together, flowing and sustaining life, from head to toe. A woven reflection of the cycles of water and our innate capacity to be regenerated by and actively care for the wellbeing of water. 

The side decorative borders of this kaitaka inspired design reflect the source and flow of water across the landscape, from mountain springs, into streams and rivers passing through valleys below out to our harbours and oceans. 

The main decorative border is a stylized aramoana pattern, a common recurring motif depicting the ocean, navigation, migration and wayfaring, and bears good tidings upon our journeys. The variations across the border are a reflection of ‘ngā ia taiheke’ a term to reflect the movements of the tide; taipari, taitimu, tai mānunu, tai pakoa, forever ebbing and flowing, revealing the permanence of change in the cycles of water and te māramataka, the lunar cycle, affirming the seasonal nature of life. There’s a right tide and right time for everything.