Birthplace of Otago centres on the water and the cliff where the first boats landed, acknowledging this site as a place of arrival and beginning. Through simplicity and stillness, the work honours the significance of place and the layered stories held within land and water. Waikouaiti, widely known as the birthplace of Otago, holds deep Māori roots, with a long-established settlement that predates European arrival, giving the landscape enduring cultural and historical significance.