Carousel slide 1 imagePhoto: R Robinson www.depth.co.nz | Taken under DOC Marine Mammal permit
Dive into a deep blue world teeming with life in Ngā Huhua: Abundance, an immersive exhibition celebrating the lifeforce of Te Moana-nui-a-Toi, the outer Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, just beyond Auckland’s shores. Meet the surprising and spectacular creatures that call this place home, from tohorā (whales) to honu (turtles), and explore how this ecosystem now faces new threats.
Te Moana-nui-a-Toi, an area largely unknown and rarely visited by most Aucklanders, comes alive through storytelling, ocean science, mātauranga Māori, contemporary art, and the voices of tangata whenua (Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea).
The exhibition reveals how both the giants and the smallest creatures play vital roles in maintaining the balance of this thriving marine world. Each year, these species gather in abundance during the seasonal upwelling of food-rich waters, a natural rhythm that has sustained life here for thousands of years. Today, that lifeforce is under pressure from climate change and human activity.
Through interactives, compelling stories, and voices grounded in whakapapa, Ngā Huhua: Abundance invites you to deepen your connection to the moana and feel inspired to help protect this extraordinary place.
This exhibition is presented in partnership with Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea, the mana whenua (customary guardians) of Aotea Great Barrier Island, whose whakapapa (ancestry) traces back to Toi, and whose people welcomed Kupe into Rangitāwhiri (Tryphena Harbour).
