Map of Pacific migrations

The first people to reach New Zealand were Polynesians who set out from the central Pacific on deliberate voyages of discovery in large canoes. They reached New Zealand, in the south-west corner of the Pacific, between 1250 and 1300 AD. Around 2,000–3,000 years before this, the Lapita people, ancestors of the Polynesians, had colonised the far-flung islands of the Pacific from South-East Asia. The broad sweep of their epic journeys is indicated by the arrows on this map.

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Comments

Peter MARTIN
20 May 2023

I was born in Dunedin and left as a child in 1952. At school, we were taught and subsequent studies on the movement of mankind tend to verify it, that NZ was first occupied by the Morori's Then around 1200AD the Māori's arrived and in time replaced the original inhabitants, who were as I understand it related to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia [ in particular Tasmania] and the Southern tip of South America all of who came from the same area of the once single continent. These finding are substantiated in part by the large birds [ Madagascar, Africa last sited around 100AD, Gondwanaland Australia, Moa LAST SITED AROUND 1800 New Zealand, and the Rhea [South America] who in turn had replaced the great catastrophe big bird fossils found around the world. together with flora connections to South America [ again Tasmania]. The other point never discussed is the architecture of the Māori and defensive built establishments including their food storage facilities which was far greater and advanced than any Polynesian, African or Australia which suggests that they migrated from Central America [ as I was taught at school, rather than Asia - though there was a migration of peoples, different to the Māori to Australia from India/Asia about 4000 following the great catastrophe as recorded in the records of the Chinese, Mayan, Middle Eastern and some 154 other societies]

Vanda Karolczak
11 May 2016

Kia ora. I am putting together a small exhbit for Matariki(June-July 2016) at the Arataki Visitor Centre in the Waitakere Ranges regional park. the exhibit is focusing on the renaisance of pacific voyaging and I would like to include a map of the orginal navigational pathways into the pacific. It would be printed into A3 and drymounted onto card. the centre is an educational centre and pathway into the ranges and is free of charge. kind regards Vanda

Laura Parker
13 October 2015

It would be great if this could be available as a pdf document for education purposes.

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Story: History