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A Maritime (or Marine) Plaque Exchange is a traditional ceremonial event held when a new ship visits a port for the first time, often during its maiden voyage. It symbolizes goodwill, mutual respect, and the establishment of friendly relations between a ship and a port. 

It's also an opportunity for vessels to proudly show where they've been - plaques from around the world are usually on display on the way to a ship's bridge. The plaque CentrePort has historically used in exchanges goes back to the days of the Wellington Harbour Board, and it's been around for a long time.

Winds of change 

At the end of the last cruise season, our Marine Team knew it was time for a change. They had noticed that plaques gifted to visiting vessels by other New Zealand ports carried a strong sense of place, more local meaning, and were distinctly “Aotearoa” in character. Inspired by this, and with the support of the business, Marine Planner Hayley O’Callaghan set out to create a plaque that would tell a story about the harbour and what it represents to CentrePort.

Hayley said she was drawn to the pūrākau (legend) of Ngake and Whātaitai, the two taniwha whose epic struggle shaped the geography of Wellington Harbour as we know it today. With the story defined, Hayley partnered with CentrePort's in-house creative designer, Rachel Laurenson, to bring the concept to life visually.

"I'm proud we've come up with something that represents the landscape and stories of Wellington. It was a very collaborative process working with Hayley and Rachel Kamau from Skyon to get our final design. The spines of the two taniwha represent their different personalities - Ngake has bold angular lines to represent his adventurous nature, and Whātaitai has fluid curves to represent his artistic, friendly nature. Their eyes are bought to life with tiny pieces of paua." - Rachel Laurenson

The construction is a mix of machined timber and laser cutting, with the plaque finished by hand, all done on site at Skyon's Miramar premises. The layout of the harbour and the depth lines etched in the perspex overlay are a homage to CentrePort's former plaque.

“I really love how the design weaves the taniwha into the nautical elements, seamlessly blending traditional marine symbolism with Māori culture. It feels powerful and grounded, something that truly belongs to this place. - Hayley O'Callaghan

Hayley says she's incredibly grateful to work for a company that genuinely supports Te Ao Māori and gives us the space to create something that reflects who we are.

"Being able to combine our maritime world with our culture, to tell one shared story and stand as one team, means a great deal to me. I’m deeply thankful that CentrePort trusted us to create such a special taonga for the port, one that will endure and be treasured for many years to come." 

The team have done an incredible job bringing this piece to life, and what they have created is more than a plaque; it’s a work of art that carries CentrePort's story beyond our harbour. Our new plaque places our brand and our identity on the global stage, standing alongside plaques from ports around the world every time a new vessel calls here.

The Odyssey, Riviera, and Discovery Princess will also receive a plaque later this cruise season. Our CE Anthony Delaney said our new design and story has been well received by Captains, who were very impressed with how it's turned out.