Brick Bay Sculpture Trail

 

It was a glorious day for taking in the sculpture trail at Brick Bay, just up the road from where we're camping. Blue sky, 70F, and clear air made for easy walking on the 2 km track. There were surprises around every bend, nestled in the native bush and perched amidst unlikely flora.

Here's a little history via Brick Bay:

A longstanding passion for sculpture and the desire to support New Zealand artists was given space to grow, leading to the realisation of the largest collection of outdoor sculpture for sale in New Zealand. The Brick Bay Sculpture Trail is an ever-changing exhibition of sculpture by leading New Zealand artists, set in the celebrated Brick Bay Vineyard. Artworks range in size from pieces suited to the suburban garden through to major works appropriate for urban renewal projects and civic placemaking.

The Brick Bay story started back in the mid-80s. Click here for details on its 200 acres of vineyards, olive groves, and location on the Pacific. Here's a website picture of its Glass House Restaurant, exquisitely positioned on the lily pad pond.

The waka-like sculpture in front of the Glass House Restaurant.

Read more about pieces that speak to you by clicking through to the artist page here.

  
No touching, but it's all you can do to not test these concrete pillows.

Representing half a moon cycle, this is made up of 14 spheres that float as a unit on the pond.

 

Bells, cloaked in a layer of feathers.

The sculpture trail wound through dense native trees wild with the sound of birds.

There were also audio installations, eerily beautiful from a distance floating through the forest.

Of course this one called to me, one letter changing with each step: Love, Lose, Lost, Most

"Communicating dramatic events that yearn to be forgotten."
Another of his pieces was a marker that read "This tree was felled to commemorate abandoned hope."

We had late lunch in the Glasshouse Restaurant after the sculpture trail. This outdoor area sits adjacent to the wine-tasting hub.

We wondered how different it might be to view sculpture entombed in galleries and museums in an outdoor space. Much food for thought this day.