1. The Gold of the Kowhai

(Paul Dibble) Commissioned 2015 

A magnificent proportion compared to the delicate New Zealand Native golden flower that is the Kowhai flower. This sculpture is a triumph in moulding and bronze casting in large proportions, then gilded in 24 carat gold, then lacquered, its yellow echoes the dramatic colour of the kowhai flower. Perched above, slightly hidden is the beautiful tui bird waiting to feed on the kowhai's golden nectar. 'The gold of the kowhai' collection by Paul Dibble were drawn from a poem penned and published in 1898, where William Pember Reeves, a statesmen, lawyer, High Commissioner and part time poet, wrote in London, thinking of home, and the felling of trees that were destroying native woods. In his faraway foreign lands he worried on the loss of "those gentle forest-haunting things" that "lived with their trees ... and passed away." 

2. Zenith

(Ray Haydon) 2011

At 3.3 metres tall, this Corton weathering steel work, shows pointed lances that are fused together in a somewhat chaotic yet balanced composition, which creates a sense of motion in multiple directions rather than a controlled movement.  This work was exhibited in the 2013 Waiheke Island Sculpture on the Gulf outdoor exhibition.

3. Into Another Realm

(Paul Dibble) 2007

This bronze work was part of Paul Dibble's Paradise collection, where his work looked at ideas of paradise drawn from past mythologies and present realities. It is the fusion of these from which this work emerges, an elongated figure, figurative in form, playfully cartwheels through this world to a realm beyond.

4. Geometric composition on Huia

(Paul Dibble) 2014

In this work, Dibble uses the now extinct Huia bird, drawing attention to the plight of animal extinction. The Huia bird was a species of New Zealand wattlebird. The last confirmed sighting was in 1907. I was remarkable for having the most pronounced bill (beak) length difference of any bird species in the world. The females bill was long, thin and arched downwards, and the male's was short and stout. The Huia was also known for its beauty and significance in local mythology. Unable to sustain itself through widespread deforestation and hunted to extinction, this species is remembered in Dibble's renditions. They act as a tribute, memorialising one of New Zealand's most treasured species.

5. Nectar Eater

(Paul Dibble) 2014

In this work Dibble depicts the male Huia bird, identifiable with its shorter bill (beak), perched on the 24 carat gold and lacquer patina of the kowhai flower. 

6. Rabbit on Alert

 (Paul Dibble) 2015

From its creation in Paul Dibble's foundry in Palmerston North, and then exhibited in the Sydney Contemporary Exhibition at the Sydney Art Fair in September 2015, 'Rabbit on Alert' was installed in the garden in October 2015.  In Paul Dibble's words, "I choose the rabbit because they are interesting critters. We hunt them, we cuddle them, we put them in kids picture books and we just have a funny kind of relationship with them. This work is an interesting juxtaposition of nature, irony and kiwi humour".

7. Liberace

(Phil Price) 2019 

This sculpture won the people's choice award in the 2019 Waiheke Island Sculpture on the Gulf outdoor exhibition. Made from Carbon, this kinetic (movement by wind) stands at a height of 4.7 metres, reaching 5.2 metres wide, and has 22 kinetic points giving its fluid movement and arching grace.

8. I am Heron

(Paul Dibble) 2014

Like forest guardians, these two human like figures are sculptured with bird like heads, with the masks of their human faces removed. In this unveiling, are we able to see this world through their bird like eyes, their consciousness, and ponder, would we treat our natural world any differently from this perception.

9. I am Tui

(Paul Dibble) 2014

The tui, with its violin, plays the majestic bird like song for which the New Zealand native Tui is so distinctly known. The Tui is a remarkable New Zealand bird. They look black from a distance, but they have a blue, green and bronze iridescent sheen, and distinctive white throat tuffs (poi). They are usually very vocal, with a complicated mix of tuneful notes interspersed with coughs, grunts and wheezes.

Tui's are very territorial, and quite boisterous to other birds. We have one particular Tui that has been in the garden for over 12 years. He is often perched in trees near the garden room.  He keeps an eye on all the bird life that make their home in the garden.

10. Fantail on Ring

(Paul Dibble) Commissioned 2012

The fantail bird is a much admired New Zealand bird, known for its friendly 'cheet cheet' call and energetic flying antics. The fantail is often seen in the bush as trekkers pass by, disturbing insects which they feed upon. Here Dibble has the bronze fantail perched on a Corton steel ring. Unlike bronze, which has a rich tradition in art history, Corton steel is primarily used industrially, and only in times has it been used in architecture and art.