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Story: Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration

Kupe in the far north

Click on the place names to see some of the important places associated with the great explorer Kupe. The Ngāti Kurī people believe that Kupe first sighted New Zealand when he mistook Houhora mountain for a whale. Ngāpuhi say that he was guided by Te Aukānapanapa (the flashing current) to land in Matauri Bay. Te Aupōuri and Te Rarawa believe that he made landfall in Hokianga Harbour. A memorial to Kupe was erected in Pākanae in 1955.

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How to cite this page

Rāwiri Taonui, Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration – Coastal explorers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/14129/kupe-in-the-far-north (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 1 March 2009.

Comments

Miranda Baptist
15 February 2012
Hi, I just had a look at your picture of Matauri Bay and it looks to me as if it is the adjacent (small) bay, Putataua Bay, rather than Matauri Bay (longer and has golden sand). If it's helpful, I have a few photos taken of the area on my blog http://gorgeouswithattitude.blogspot.co.nz/#!http://gorgeouswithattitude.blogspot.com/2012/02/gorgeous-matauri-bay-and-rainbow.html I used Google Maps for the geographical names. Kind regards, Miranda Baptist