Story: Waikato region

The historic waka (canoe) Te Winika, seen here on the Waikato River in 1971, was restored by a team of carvers led by Piri Poutapu in the 1930s. Poutapu, who had a carving school at Tūrangawaewae marae, researched Waikato carving styles and carved the bow, figurehead, sternpost and sides. In 1973 the Māori queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, gifted Te Winika to Waikato Museum.