The meandering awa known as Ōpāwaho Heathcote River was part of a network of ara tawhito, or traditional travel routes, that connected the once-widespread wetland system of greater Ōtautahi Christchurch. It was a rich food source, a good place to catch water birds and fish – from pūtakitaki and raipo to tuna, kōkopu and kanakana – and plants of many kinds were gathered from its banks. Australian-born James Lawson Balfour trained in London and Paris, and first came to Ōtautahi to visit his father, the watercolourist James Balfour, in 1900. He lived here for eight years, establishing a successful studio as a portrait painter. He was most creative, however, when painting atmospheric landscapes like this quiet riverbend, which glows with jewel-like colour.

awa ~ river

pūtakitaki ~ paradise ducks

raipo ~ New Zealand scaup

tuna ~ eels

kōkopu ~ Galaxias, freshwater fish found in rivers, lakes and swamps

kanakana ~ lampreys

He Kapuka Oneone – A Handful of Soil (from August 2024)