Story: Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration

Statue of Kupe

Statue of Kupe

This statue of Kupe, on the Wellington waterfront, shows the legendary explorer with his wife, Hine Te Apārangi, and his tohunga (priest), Pekahourangi. The country’s Māori name, Aotearoa, came when his wife saw a long white cloud and realised that land was nearby.

Using this item

Private collection
Photograph by Simon Nathan

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, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/14132/statue-of-kupe (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 24 Sep 2007