Te Matau a Māui sets sail on five-year Te Hokinga voyage following Tākitimu ancestral routes

A significant maritime journey has commenced in Hawke’s Bay as the waka hourua Te Matau a Māui departed from Ahuriri, Te Whanganui-a-Orotu, last week. The voyage, titled Te Hokinga, marks the beginning of an ambitious five-year undertaking to retrace the ancient sea routes originally traversed by the Tākitimu waka. Speaking to Radio Waatea, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc chair Bayden Barber discussed the significance of the mission, which serves as both a cultural pilgrimage and a practical training ground for the next generation of Māori navigators. The initial two-month leg of the journey will see the crew sail to Samoa and Fiji before returning to Aotearoa New Zealand. According to reports from Waatea News, this current phase of Te Hokinga is specifically designed to test and refine the skills of navigators currently in training. By navigating the expansive waters of the Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean), the crew aims to strengthen traditional wayfinding techniques that have connected Pacific peoples for centuries. Retracing the path of the Tākitimu waka is a move that reinforces the deep whakapapa links between iwi in Aotearoa and the wider Pacific. The five-year scope of the project reflects a long-term commitment to revitalizing traditional seafaring knowledge. As Te Matau a Māui continues its journey toward the islands of Samoa and Fiji, it carries with it the aspirations of Ngāti Kahungunu to ensure these ancestral skills remain vibrant and practiced in the modern era.