Three medals for Te Ara Wai Journeys

Te Ara Wai Journeys has won two golds and one bronze medal at Australasia’s biggest design awards.

Professional story-telling agency, Locales, won gold in two separate categories at the Designers Institute of New Zealand Awards in the weekend.

The Wellington-based company, which worked alongside Waipā District Council on the project, beat all others in the installation and exhibition category and also the toitanga category focussing on Māori co-design.

Locales also won a bronze medal in the digital products category, also for Te Ara Wai Journeys.

Te Ara Wai Journeys shares 169 unique stories, including stories of Waipā’s multiple New Zealand Land Wars sites. Since it was launched in December 2019, thousands of people have used Te Ara Wai Journeys via the website and visited sites of significance in Waipā.

Locales director Chris Hay said he was “extremely pleased” to win three medals because the awards are the largest in Australasia.

“There is a real depth to the storytelling, with the Waipā community sharing authentic, powerful stories. By placing these stories in the landscape, we’ve made the experience unique. And to be awarded medals over three disciplines is also a great honour and perhaps recognition of the way museums are changing.”

Waipā Mayor Jim Mylchreest congratulated Locales on its design success and strongly encouraged those who haven’t yet experienced Te Ara Wai Journeys to “give it a go”.

“These are powerful, important Waipā stories, brilliantly told. Everyone who has engaged with Te Ara Wai Journeys has loved it and walked away with a far better understanding of what makes our district so unique and our heritage so important.”

To experience Te Ara Wai Journeys go to www.tearawai.nz