What’s the mysterious giant octopus that’s appeared in Auckland’s Harbour?

This article originally appeared on Stuff, April 2025.

Those in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland over Easter are in for an extra treat with the Aotearoa Art Fair Sculpture Trail transforming Auckland’s waterfront.

Leading contemporary artists from across Aotearoa have collaborated to form the Sculpture Trail in the Viaduct Harbour, ahead of the Aotearoa Art Fair, which will light up the Viaduct Events Centre from May 1-4.

The public trail, open until May 14, offers a rare opportunity to experience large-scale and world-class sculpture in an open-air setting, thoughtfully placed throughout one of the city’s most iconic waterfront precincts.

One of the major attractions is internationally acclaimed artist Lisa Reihana's 15m inflatable sculpture - Te Wheke-a-Muturangi - a giant female octopus from the Māori myth of Kupe.

The majestic 15m-wide floating cephalopod is part of Reihana’s Kura Moana Series and draws from the powerful Māori myth of the giant female octopus, Te-Wheke-a-Muturangi, who is pursued across the Pacific and ultimately slain by the legendary Polynesian navigator, Kupe.

‍