Method brings history to life for Paihia’s bicentennial commemorations

To mark the 200-year anniversary of the Church Missionary Society’s establishment in Paihia, local iwi Ngāti Rahiri and Ngāti Kawa, along with the Paihia Historical Legacy Society (PHLS), have teamed up with Auckland-based creative technology studio, Method to create a cutting-edge mobile app dubbed Ātea Nuku Timewalk Paihia.

Ātea Nuku works to take visitors on an immersive journey through Paihia’s rich history, offering an experiential walking tour that brings the history and legacy of Paihia to life through location-based AR, audio, animation, 360 video and text.

Paihia holds an important place in the nation’s history, as the place where Māori and British missionaries and settlers held significant conversations about how they could co-exist and thrive together in the future.

Waitangi Marae chairman and Uri O Te Kemara (descendant of Te Kemara) Ngati Kawa Taituha said the legacy trail celebrates the bond between two cultures, which had been crucial to the signing of the 1835 Declaration of Independence and the ensuing Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi.

“The bicentennial will be commemorated in a way that enhances the mana of everyone involved,” Taituha says. “What we can do is learn from the past to make a better future for Aotearoa, as intended through the visionary foresight of both Māori and the missionaries when Te Tiriti was drafted and signed.”

PHLS Chair Martin Williams, says: “This app is a significant milestone in preserving and sharing the early history of Paihia. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in this project.”

Users can access the stories by scanning QR codes through the app at 12 significant locations within easy walking distance of each other, including Te Tii Marae, the original Mission Village location, and Manukaihuia Hill, with views from the Paihia foreshore to historic Kororāreka.

For Method, the challenge involved extensive curation of the written and oral histories of the area and regular location visits to work through the technical aspects.

Method is no stranger to using technology to create awe-inspiring experiences, having launched the first augmented reality tour in Aotearoa for Ngati Whatua Orakei – an app that pushed the boundaries for Māori tourism, showcasing Bastion Point (Takaparawhau) in Auckland and the historical significance of the site.

Method’s Managing and Creative Director Sam Ramlu is excited to share another such experience with Kiwis. “Creating Ātea Nuku has been a remarkable journey. The stories of Paihia are important stories for all of Aotearoa, and we’ve loved being able to turn them into a beautiful, engaging and educational digital experience.”

Featuring AR reconstructions, 360° video and more, all accessed via QR technology, Ātea Nuku demonstrates how historical locations can be brought to life to educate and inspire modern day visitors.

For more information on Ātea Nuku visit www.timewalkpaihia.co.nz/ or download the app through the Apple or Google Play stores.

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