Captain of Aotea canoe.

Turi, the son of Ronga-tea-tai-marama and of Hina-rau-renga, was born at Mahaena on the north-east coast of Tahiti about 600 years ago. He left Tahiti with his people, the Ngati-Rongotea, and sailed to Raiatea Island in the Society (Tahiti) Group where he married Rongorongo, the daughter of the local chief Toto.

Turi became involved in a local conflict against the god Uenuku and decided to flee by sea. Toto had just felled a large tree growing by the banks of the Waiharakeke in Raiatea and half of this tree was hewn into the canoe Aotea. Kupe, who had made the voyage earlier, advised Turi to seek the river mouth near the Patea district. In about A.D. 1350 the Aotea with 33 passengers from three families set out for Aotearoa. They touched at Raoul Island (Kermadec Group) for repairs and were joined by some of the Kurahaupo's complement. They finally landed on the Taranaki coast at the mouth of the Patea River where they became the ancestors of the Taranaki, Ngati Ruanui, Nga Rauru, and Wanganui tribes of the West Coast.

by Robert Ritchie Alexander, M.A., DIP.ED.(N.Z.), B.T.(CALCUTTA), PH.D.(MINNESOTA), Teachers' Training College, Christchurch.

• Takitimu, Mitchell, J. H. (1944)
• Hawaiki–The Whence of the Maori, Smith, S. P. (1898)
• Turi of the Aotea Canoe, Houston, J. (1933).