Story: Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration

‘The legend of the voyage to New Zealand’

‘The legend of the voyage to New Zealand’

This oil painting by Kennett Watkins shows a fleet of double-hulled, ocean- going waka (canoes) landing in New Zealand. The first waka to arrive in the new country were probably double-hulled, and would have been used for the earliest coastal explorations.

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Auckland Art Gallery – Toi o Tāmaki
Oil painting by Kennett Watkins

Permission of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Rāwiri Taonui, 'Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration - Exploration traditions', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/14124/the-legend-of-the-voyage-to-new-zealand (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 24 Sep 2007