Pania of the Reef Statue, Napier

On Napier鈥檚 Marine Parade sits a bronze figure with a story deeper than the reef she鈥檚 named for鈥擯ania of the Reef. Since 1954, she鈥檚 gazed out toward the Pacific, carrying the legend of a sea maiden who loved a human but belonged to the ocean. By M膩ori tradition, Pania would spend nights on land and return to the sea each dawn, until the pull of the waves claimed her for good. It鈥檚 a tale of romance, loss, and a bond with nature that refuses to fade.

Her statue owes its existence to the Thirty Thousand Club, who commissioned it after hearing the legend from Anglican Bishop Frederick Bennett. Students at Hukarere Girls鈥� College posed for reference, but it was Mei Irihapiti Robin鈥攍ater Mei Whaitiri鈥攚hose likeness was chosen. Wearing a piupiu skirt, which is a traditional Maori garment, she was immortalised first in a clay model crafted in Italy, then cast in bronze, weighing in at roughly 60 to 70 kilograms. Prime Minister Sidney Holland unveiled her to the public, and Napier gained a new icon.

Comparisons to Copenhagen鈥檚 Little Mermaid are inevitable鈥攂oth are small in scale, cast in bronze, perched near the sea, and born from stories where love collides with fate. Yet Pania is no copy; she stands in her own current, tied to a uniquely New Zealand myth.

Time hasn鈥檛 always been kind. In 1982 she survived a shooting, and in 2005 she was stolen outright鈥攐nly to be swiftly recovered and restored. In 2024, the passing of Mei Whaitiri added another layer of poignancy, linking the sculpture more tightly than ever to local memory.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Pania of the Reef Statue
Sight Location: Napier, New Zealand (See walking tours in Napier)
Sight Type: Statue/Public Art
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Napier Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Napier, New Zealand

Create Your Own Walk in Napier

Creating your own self-guided walk in Napier is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Napier Introduction Walking Tour

Napier sits on the eastern edge of New Zealand鈥檚 North Island, where the Pacific rolls in and the streets look like they gracefully ride the waves. Long before colonial maps, this was Ahuriri to the M膩ori, the island鈥檚 first inhabitants. In the 1800s it took the name Napier, after British soldier Sir Charles Napier, and grew into a thriving port and farming hub. Victorian and Edwardian... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

Napier Art Deco Architecture Walk

Napier鈥檚 Art Deco architecture is the city鈥檚 most defining feature, drawing visitors from around the world to admire its vibrant facades and geometric elegance. After the devastating 1931 earthquake flattened much of the city, Napier was rapidly rebuilt in the architectural style of the day鈥擜rt Deco. The result is a remarkably cohesive urban landscape filled with zigzags, sunbursts,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles

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