The tiles mark the completion of a reimagined millennium pathway.
The newly named Te Ara Maumahara acts as a memory lane or path, noting significant events to have taken place in the world, New Zealand, and in Wānaka and the Upper Clutha over the past 1000 years.
Queenstown Lakes District Council community services general manager Ken Bailey shared his anticipation for the landmark taking its place among the upgrades completed on Wānaka’s lakefront last year.
"Te Ara Maumahara provides an amazing opportunity to acknowledge those who have come before us and the moments that matter, both here, throughout Aotearoa, and out in the big, wide world.
"Once these tiles are in place, I’m sure residents and visitors alike will find their strolls along the lake’s edge that much more enjoyable with a bit of a blast from the past added into the mix."
There will be 645 etched historical tiles installed next to the shared pathway that runs between McDougall and Dungarvon Sts, each one marked with symbols denoting the event or events that took place, and whether it was of international, national, local or Kāi Tahu significance.
Several different designs were etched and tested to make sure Te Ara Maumahara meets community expectations.
A working group was formed last year to work on the reimagined landmark and to honour and protect the original legacy of the now-deconstructed millennium pathway.
Mr Bailey acknowledged the dedication and generosity of Dr Michael Stevens, Ed Waddington, the Upper Clutha Historical Records Society, and council parks officer Diana Manson in helping to shape what promised to be a feature many would cherish.
"We’ve had amazing contributions from the community to make sure Te Ara Maumahara showcases an extensive breadth of information relevant to Wānaka and the Upper Clutha, and celebrates our little place in the world.
"Furthermore, this feature wouldn’t be possible without the amazing work undertaken by caring and committed members of the community who first envisaged and then created the millennium pathway."
Work to install Te Ara Maumahara was set to start on Monday and is expected to take four to six weeks to complete.
Installation is weather dependent as temperatures are required to be above 5°C for the tiles to be laid successfully.
Sections of the shared pathway on Wānaka’s lakefront will be temporarily closed while tiles are being installed, but an alternative route has been provided alongside the pathway for pedestrians to use.
