The double-hulled voyaging waka Te Matau a Māui is on the final leg home to Ahuriri, Napier, after two and a half months sailing the South Pacific using traditional navigation by the stars, the NZ Herald reports.
The waka was off East Cape on Monday after leaving Suva, and the Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust expects it to arrive on Thursday morning, weather permitting. A pōwhiri welcome is planned in Napier's inner harbour.
The Te Hokinga Takitimu voyage began on 31 August and included legs to Samoa and Fiji, with a stop in Whangārei for customs. Under navigator Piripi Smith, crew members completed their training in celestial wayfinding during the trip. About 30 people took part, four of them for the whole journey, and the voyage was paid for by the trust and the crew.
Source: NZ Herald
