Description:

Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu — with strong feathers, the great bird will glide.

Presented with the challenge to enhance and continue a 150 year rail journey, KiwiRail made
the bold move to invest in creating a premium rail experience in addition to its wider offering.

A world class and distinctly Aotearoa New Zealand travel experience that creates a deeper
connection to people, place and is underpinned by our nation’s rich cultural tapestry to leave a
long-lasting and memorable impression for our respected manuhiri.

The strategic concept of ‘Aotearoa Sensory Embrace’ is about connecting people closer the
distinctive nature and spirit of this place, creating holistic sensorial experiences, and
embracing the journey over the destination.

And the metaphorical design idea, ‘manuhiri’, delivers this through the vehicle of design. The
gathering of the birds, this is about moving away from viewing our visitors as customers and
engaging with them as valued guests that have made a journey to be with us, in our home.

These concepts were used to create a signature aesthetic and service style, drawing from the
colours, textures and forms of our many native manu and the landscapes they call home.

Working tirelessly within the frictions of highly technical ‘built to code’ rail engineering, cultural
storytelling and the art of reduction, the reimagined carriages were sculpted to embody our wild
and cherished birdlife – the vertebrae that hold the carriage together designed in collaboration
with mana whenua artists to encapsulate the intertwining of our many manu, coiling back and
forth throughout our landscape.

Bespoke ceramics where carved raw in clay, then engineered to code by local artists, story
tellers and engineers, taking the enchanting form of shared pūrakau ‘Ngā manu karu’ - the eyes
of our guardians. Designed to add visual elegance, watching over our people and our guest as
the glide through the motu. An experience made richer when illuminated while moving through
dark passages, tunnels and off-course Hine-nui-te-pō, goddess of our night skies.

The colour palette draws directly from the hues inherent in our natural land, sea and sky
domains and echoing the iridescence of our featherscape. They were applied in alignment to
lighting to embellish the serene moments throughout the carriage interior. A strong, bold
exterior intentionally made graphic to integrate itself into the vast and rhythmic landscape of
our nation — acting as the carriages Kahu Manu (feathered cloak).

Accents of texture were woven into the fabric of staff uniforms that are a distinct and iconic
physical representation of the brand – the living spirit of manaakitanga, the universal practice of
complete care, which we carry with us wherever we go.

A feat in shared engineering and artistry, this project embodies five years of creative
exploration, a living example of tirititanga and multi-medium collaboration. The result is an
experience that travels further and shares the wealthy fruits of our tourism industry to places
never reached before.