CULTURE
Pounamu rowing medals

Pounamu rowing medals

Tourism New Zealand

14 October 2010, 8:46AM

Tourism New Zealand

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Rowing champions will take more than memories home from the 2010 World Rowing Championships in New Zealand - each gold medallist will receive a treasured pounamu taonga / treasure as a gift from local Māori.
The greenstone pendant, hand-carved in a paddle shape, will be placed around the neck of every gold-winning crew member at the same time they receive their traditional FISA World Championship medal.

Māori artist and specialist pounamu carver Lewis Gardiner, of Rotorua, was commissioned to make 150 taonga and says it has taken about three months to complete the task.

The pounamu - otherwise known as New Zealand greenstone or nephrite jade - comes from Big Bay in South Westland, on the West Coast of the South Island. 

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