Te Matau a Māui crew welcomed home from journey of unity

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: Mitchell Hageman
• Publication title: Hastings Leader, The

Children as young as 13 sailed the weeks-long trip, which featured everything from bioluminescent dolphins to nearly missing the start of the festival

Mitchell Hageman spoke to the vessel navigators about the trip’s core focus: Encouraging the next generation to harness the celestial navigation skills and mātauranga (traditional knowledge) of those who came before.

The joy on the faces of the rangatahi (young) crew could be seen from miles off Napier’s Perfume Point on Wednesday as they experienced the thrill of traditional ocean navigation.

Coupled with a roaring haka from the shore, it was undoubtedly an emotional return to Ahuriri Napier for those on board the Te Matau a Māui waka hourua, the double-hulled voyaging canoe, with many young people having completed their first voyage.

“It was great. It took us about four days to get down, and we had reasonably good weather,” skipper Te Kaha (TK) Hawaikirangi said.

“We spent a little longer around Castlepoint before we timed our run across Cook Strait to catch the currents of the winds.”

He said there was a small risk the group might not have made it to the festival on time, but a well-timed run quashed any concerns.

“We did get to the festival on time, which was in doubt a little bit in the days out, but we timed our run really well and got there the night before the pōwhiri.”

They weren’t alone on their voyage either.

“We saw dolphins every day. The highlight was that they stayed with us through the night. When you’ve got bioluminescent algae in the water, it lights it up blue,” he said.

“Even in pitch black, you could see the outline of the dolphins and the spray that comes off as they swim.”

Seven rangatahi made their first voyage over the two legs, and Hawaikirangi credited them and the rest of the crew for their huge effort.

“They all performed really well in some challenging situations. They worked two shifts a day, some of which were at night. I’m really proud of the...