Like many great discoveries, Hapene came about purely by chance. In April 1999, Christall Rata was in her grandparent's backyard attempting to make a giftwrap for her cousin's 21st birthday present. She wanted to create something distinctive, stunning and innovative, and so she began tinkering with a Harakeke leaf.

Christall decided to put the leaf through an unusual process, and remarkably, the sacred Harakeke leaf was transformed into an object of rare beauty and Hapene was conceived.