Eye on the Poukai
Words Emily Pattullo
It will have been hard not to notice the sculpture of the giant ‘eagle’ that stands resplendent on the roundabout of the new motorway, but what kind of bird is it exactly, and what does it symbolise? Metal artist and creator of the beast in question, Nathan Hull, has the answers.
Five years ago, Nathan Hull was approached by Wyvern Rosieur (Ngāti Manuhiri) to sculpture a “bald eagle” for the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway. It wasn’t until 2021, however, when Wyvern came back to Nathan and gave him the go-ahead to make what, in actual fact, would be a Pouākai. Literally translated, Pouākai means ‘old glutton’, and was considered to be a gigantic bird with a three-metre wingspan that often preyed on men, women and children. Also referred to as Haast’s Eagle, it was a formidable creature that became extinct 500-600 years ago.
This particular pouākai, however, is a tribute to Reipae. It is said that Reipae and Reitū (her sister) travelled on the back of a large pouākai and rested in the area the bird stands, on their way to Whangarei. Dome Valley (Tohitohi o Reipae) takes its name from the Tainui ancestress, Reipae.
Made from stainless steal and copper, the bird, which has a six-metre wingspan, took a total of 600 hours to complete, over a period of five months, and required Nathan to hire additional help.
Nathan lives in Taranaki and has been a metal artist since he was 22. Having started as a welder at 15, he had a good understanding of the art and construct of metal; “My first creation was an ornament, a motorbike, and my passion just grew from there.” He entered competitions and won several, was featured in newspapers and then exhibited in galleries. At 24 he was able to focus on being a metal artist full- time, and aside from a brief period when he took a hiatus for personal reasons, he has been doing it ever since. Married with five kids, Nathan’s eldest is following in his footsteps, creating his own pieces whilst studying engineering.
With a passion for collaboration and inspiring other artists, Nathan and his wife, who is
also a metal artist, have created an online community to help other metal artists. “I enjoy teaching and getting others involved,” says Nathan. “I want to run metal art courses in the future, and we’re big on recycling so I teach artists how to cut things like water cylinders, old shower trays, and stainless steal bench tops and use those in their art work.”
Eventually hoping to open a small sculpture park/gallery on their property, there are already 13 sculptures ready to display. From various animals, to an abstract octopus, and even a fairy in a tree, it will be a truly magical and inspiring exhibition of what Nathan and his metal artist community can do.
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