The Sun Flag (Te Ra) This flag has been designed for flag lovers and the communities of Mapua and Ruby Bay. It is not an "official" flag but one that it is hoped will be adopted by local people to give themselves a sense of collective identity. 150cm x 90cm The Design The flag is divided into two parts. The sun at the top represents the long sunshine hours of our local area and the clear blue sky which has created a region of vineyards, orchards and a sun-kissed coast-line. The bottom part is a V shape which represents Tasman Bay. The gold colour denotes our local sandy beaches. The six blue and white stripes denote the sea. It is our source of Kai Moana and recreation. Each stripe represents one of the six principal maritime communities of Tasman Bay. They are: Marahau, Kaiteretere, Motueka, Ruby Bay, Mapua and Nelson. The Sun Flag is simple and follows the basic rules of good flag design; it has meaningful symbolism, it uses no more than two or three colours, it avoids lettering, seals or coats of arms and finally, it is distinctive. Flag maintenance You can, of course, fly your flag all the time but the rain, wind and strong sunlight will begin to adversely affect its beauty over time. Alternatively, you could fly the Sun Flag on selected days. For example; weekends, the Mapua Easter Fair, Nelson Anniversary Day, Matariki, Labour Day, Christmas, the King's Birthday, your birthdays and any special occasions for you and your whanau. We hope you enjoy flying your flag and that it brings a smile to your face as it flutters in the wind. The design of this flag is dedicated to Andrew Damerham's wife Rosemary, who stitched the first prototype, but died far too early in August 2025 before seeing it's release
