Named after the victor of the Napoleonic wars, Arthur Wellesley, Wellington was established as the capital of New Zealand in 1865. Established on an existing Maori settlement at the southern tip of North Island along Cook Strait, greater Wellington is home to nearly half a million citizens including the extraordinary Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who has steered the nation through the Covid crisis with aplomb.

The cover design features Maori markings by Whare Joseph Thompson. Titled 'Tai Timu, Tai Pari,’ which translates to ‘Incoming and Outgoing Tide' and embodies the symbiotic relationship between the 'mana whenua', the indigenous Maori people to the Tauranga 'Moana', waterways of the region. Additionally, the illustration also shows 'Nga Hau e Wha' which translates as 'The Four Winds', and the merging of people from the four corners of the world. This is shown by the four kowhai-ngutukaka (traditional Maori pattern designs) which are composed of three koru (a Maori spiral shape based on the appearance of an unfurling silver fern frond) representing the past, present, and future. This cover was originally produced by EJ but has been licensed to other foundries such as Martins foundry.