Voyaging Through Time: The Majestic Waka of Māori Maritime Lore

Waka – aquatic chariots of the Māori, usually canoes ranging in size from small, pared-down vessels optimised for hunting the day's catch or meandering down river paths, to their larger kin, formidable war canoes, stretching up to an imposing 40 meters. Since the 1970s about eight large double-hulled canoes of about 20 ware meticulously crafted for trans-oceanic adventures. These remarkable vessels, equal parts tradition and innovation, bear the hallmark of ancient Melanesian craftsmanship tinged with Polynesian flair.

Regardless of the size, the oceanic waka were driven by broad paddles, but unfurled their true speed potential when the winds took to their sails. It was aboard such grand waka that the Polynesian settlers embarked on their journey to New Zealand. So entrenched is the waka in their history, some narratives hint at the possible use of the waka hourua, double-hulled sea fortresses. In tribute to this rich heritage, the term 'waka' evolved to be synonymous with a united assembly of iwi, traced back to the migrant parties of a single ocean-going canoe.

Fast forward to 1992 — the distant echo of tribal drumbeats could almost be heard as Hekenukumai Busby painstakingly constructed Te Aurere, a tribute to the legendary waka hourua, using traditional techniques and materials. This love letter to his ancestors has since cut across the waves of the Pacific, visiting Hawaii, Tahiti, the Marquesas, New Caledonia, and Norfolk Island, frequently circumnavigating Te Ika-a-Māui with guidance from an age-old Polynesian navigational compass.