Skip to main content

Story: Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration

Roadside Stories: Kupe in the Hokianga

Hokianga Harbour was the departure point of legendary Māori navigator Kupe when he returned to his homeland of Hawaiki. Kupe is said to have left behind two taniwha (water spirits), which guided the safe landing of later Polynesian arrivals.

Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides to places around New Zealand.

Using this item

YouTube: Manatu Taonga's channel

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

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/45049/roadside-stories-kupe-in-the-hokianga (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 30 April 2014.