First impressions matter.

Right now, Whakatāne’s don’t.

Arriving from Tauranga, Rotorua or the airport, what greets visitors is not pride or identity, but a cluttered shuffle of mismatched signs, random businesses and speed-limit warnings – capped off by a council billboard saying, “Whakatāne District Nau mai” .

It’s cheap. It’s generic. It’s apologetic. And for a town with Whakatāne’s history and achievements, it’s simply not good enough.

Surely, we can do better.

The planned upgrade of State Highway 30 from Thornton Road to Coastlands offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix this – not with another sign, but with a statement. Something permanent. Something bold. Something that tells people immediately that they’ve arrived somewhere that matters.

The idea is straightforward: an Avenue of Champions or Te Ara Mana … The Path of Mana.

Imagine a four-lane divided boulevard from Mill Road into town. Clean lines. No random advertising. No visual clutter. A strong central median running like a spine — planted, lit, and punctuated by a series of striking corten-steel silhouettes, spaced at regular intervals.

Ten to 15. Enough to create rhythm. Enough to tell a story.

These wouldn’t be statues or billboards. They’d be elegant, rust-toned silhouettes – visible from both directions – instantly recognisable, contemporary and timeless. A form that signals achievement without shouting.

And what would they honour?

Not popularity. Not politics. Excellence.

From our origins – Mataatua Waka and Wairaka, daughter of Toroa – through service and sacrifice, including WWI and WWII veterans and the White Island first responders whose courage resonated nationwide. Cultural giants such as Margaret Mahy.

And sporting excellence that carried Whakatāne onto the world stage: Lisa Carrington, Sarah Walker, Hayden Wilde, Eve Rimmer, Mills and Veldman, Red Conway and others.

And defining moments, like the 1987 earthquake – reminders of resilience, not ruin.

New Zealand proudly punches above its weight on the world stage – in sport, culture, courage and creativity. And if that’s true nationally, then it’s doubly true locally.

Little old Whakatāne has been punching well above its weight for generations.

From Olympic podiums to moments of national resolve, this town’s contribution far exceeds its size.

The problem is, you wouldn’t know it from the drive in.

To keep standards high and arguments low, the criteria should be clear: Olympic gold, world champion status, international significance or defining historic events.

A small independent committee approves each addition.

Sponsors fund individual installations. Discreet plaques in the adjacent footpath tell the story. No advertising clutter. Just acknowledgement.

The central median becomes a lush, subtropical garden – fully lit at night – creating drama, pride and a sense of arrival.

A gateway you remember. One you photograph. One that quietly does the work slogans never can.

Most towns spend years trying to explain themselves.

An Avenue of Champions would show who we are in 30 seconds.

This isn’t about vanity. It’s about confidence.

About backing ourselves. About recognising that Whakatāne doesn’t need to borrow identity from elsewhere – we’ve earned our own.

This road upgrade will happen once. The question is whether we use it to simply move cars faster, or to finally give Whakatāne a front door worthy of its record.

With buy-in from council, NZTA and the community, a vision like this could be ready to incorporate with the upgrade – not an add-on or after thought.

If New Zealand can punch above its weight, then Whakatāne should have the courage to show just how hard it’s been swinging all along.