a STORY
Around 300 years ago, a Kaipara chieftainess arranged a marriage between her daughter Rangimarie and a descendant of Tamaki Makaurau. During the preparations at Maungakiekie Pa, Rangimarie's servant discovered a plot to kill the Kaipara people. Rangimarie was a renowned choreographer and the night before the marriage she performed a dance conveying the treacherous scheme in front
of both iwi. The unarmed Kaipara people escaped and for two weeks Rangimarie hid in a cave near King George Avenue in Epsom before returning to her people. Represented as the shimmering red diamond, Rangimarie takes centre stage weaving together the Kaipara and Tamaki iwi. The white niho taniwha [dragon's teeth] is a design used in raranga [weaving] and a fighting strategy referenced in kapa haka.