Story: Waka – canoes

This waka, held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, is a replica of the traditional waka kōrari of the Moriori people of the Chatham Islands. It had two keels (made of poles or small beams) and was flat-bottomed. The name refers to the dry flowering flax stalks (kōrari) forming the bottom and sides. It was also known as a waka pūhara.