There are many stories of Māui and many story-tellers. Here’s a story of Te Matau-a-Māui, Māui’s great fish-hook – perhaps one of the greatest fishing stories of all time.

This project was initiated by Hawke’s Bay Tourism and Ngā Toi, from conversations with local Māori Tourism Operators wanting to raise the Te Matau a Māui (Hawke's Bay) regional profile by uplifting our regional cultural narrative. Hawke’s Bay Tourism connected with Ngāti Kahungunu resulting in Ngahiwi Tomoana becoming our lead story-teller.

Through a collaborative process, We, along with Karl Wixon, Jacob Scott, Israel Tangaroa Birch and the wider team came together to create some heartfelt and meaningful mahi, which will, hopefully inspire further storytelling.

The video and photography by Tom Allan – filmed from the land, from the sea and from the sky, is breathtaking.

The tohu represents the lashed double barbed hook of Māui, as well as representing te kauwae runga, upper jaw, and kauwae raro, lower jaw - knowledge, both celestial and ancestral is derived from deities above and practical terrestrial knowledge applied below.

The aho, line, sweeps in an arc representing the continuous motion of the hook that never sleeps.

(Tohu description attributed to Karl Wixon)