It was a time in my life where I was starting to collect art,
and I heard of this chap he knew, Billy Apple,
and I thought, "Oh that'd be kind of cool, to meet."
You know, Billy, I think was a bit intrigued by what I did, was a bit unusual really,
and I was intrigued by what he did, and it kind of just went from there, I guess.
Then he told me all about - what's the right word? The extended continental shelf.
The extended, extended continental shelf. And that, I found fascinating.
You know like, you know what that meant, and how large.
I was absolutely in awe of the fact, that he said,
"You know, I think we're about the fifth largest piece of land in the world".
Then one day, I said to him, "Well, where's the center?"
I don't know, because, why would I know?
Why would you want to know?
No, I didn't exactly, but I thought,
"Okay, we could do that at GNS, so we'll go find out".
Jenny Black, at GNS here, she did a fantastic job.
So, she delved into this, and it's all done properly and mathematically.
This is a great conversation that Billy and I will have about,
"You know, where is the center of something?" and then, we talk about errors and all the rest of it.
So, mathematically, these three choices are all acceptable.
As it turns out, one of those three, more or less lands on this track up on the Tararuas.
That was the preferred one, mathematically, most correct.
So, as it turned out,
never mind the fact of this incredible size of this extended continental shelf area,
you can actually find the center, just out of Carterton.
I mean, what are the odds?
So, what we have at the top, is really no different than a signpost, that implies that
600 meters is a roundabout, or you know whatever.
It's closer than that, actually.
Well, well whatever it is, I thought it was 600 meters.
No, I don't think it's quite that far, but it doesn't matter.
Much closer, 200, I think.
200 meters, even better still.
David Titchener is a great guy, young guy, and he was all keen.
He thought, "What a wonderful project".
Helicopters, concrete, all had to be helicoptered up,
and he and I and Jenny, we dug out the thing,
and did the boxing, and concreted it in, and the rest is history.
It is an engraving in marine stainless steel.
Pick it up to stand with your legs apart, right over the point,
you know, so you literally are in the center.
I feel extremely privileged to be able to work, and be able to have a conversation,
and then out of it, to come a work from, working with someone like Cornel at his level,
and to entertain my question seriously, from my point of view, and to achieve what we've done.
It's a hard question, and it's been answered