The Manawatu Overtones Logo

Our  Logo is inspired by the Huia bird. 

The Huia belonged to a family of wattlebirds unique to New Zealand, a family so ancient that no relation is found elsewhere. 

The Huia was only found in a small portion of the North Island of New Zealand, significantly our Manawatu area including the Manawatu Gorge and Ruahine and Tararua  Ranges. It is now extinct, with no reliable sightings since W.W. Smith saw three birds in the Tararua Ranges on 28 December 1907

To Maori the Huia had more mana than any other bird, and was highly treasured for its beautiful black tail feathers tipped with white.  These distinctive feathers were often worn by Maori chiefs as a sign of their status. Such feathers were revered as taonga (treasures) by Maori.

It is said to be the most melodic of all New Zealand songbirds, producing a sound similar to their cousin the Kokako. Diaries of early settlers lamented the loss of the birds when they became extinct as they enjoyed their sound.

In our logo you will see the female Huia, with a long curved beak and significantly the orange wattles at the corners of the beak.