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Story: Waka – canoes

Poling upstream

Image
Poling upstream

In this wood engraving from 1889 a group poles their canoe up the Whanganui River. The great effort required for travelling upstream is illustrated by the large number of men on the poles.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PUBL-0085-096

by James Coutts Crawford

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, Waka – canoes – Waka equipment, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/6032/poling-upstream (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, published 2 March 2009.