by Rāwiri Taonui
Thousands of years ago, the ancestors of Māori journeyed out of South-East Asia and into the Pacific. They sailed in waka (canoes), and were some of the world's greatest canoe builders, navigators and mariners.
Recently, replica canoes have been made as part of a renaissance of traditional culture. Although today’s crafts rely on modern radio and navigation equipment for safety reasons, the spirit and relevance of traditional seafaring remains.
Main image: Te Au-o-Tonga (left) and Te Aurere off the East Coast, 2000
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