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Story: Canoe navigation

Carving the Hawaiki-nui

Carving the Hawaiki-nui

Mātahi Avauli Whakataka-Brightwell, his brothers Alan, Kim and Pryor, and other carvers are pictured here with the Hawaiki-nui in Porirua, 1981. The hulls were made from two tōtara trees from Whirinaki State Forest. These were hollowed out in Porirua and Pahīatua before being shipped to Tahiti, where the canoe was constructed. The Hawaiki-nui was successfully sailed from Tahiti to Rarotonga and then on to New Zealand in 1985.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1981/0778/35A-F

by Ross Giblin

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

Rāwiri Taonui, Canoe navigation – Recent voyaging, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/2240/carving-the-hawaiki-nui (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 4 March 2009.

Comments

Bob Shin
16 August 2011
hi my name is bob from korea. i was looking for him(Jason Porter) for long time. i met him at Dae jeon EXPO 93 in korea. i had visited him 1997 too. after that i moved USA then it hard to contact with him. i am really good friend with jason but i forgot his contact number. can you please tell me his telephone number or email that i can contact with jason please.... or if you can please tell him my number or email then he can contact with me.... my number is 1-702-308-8345 [email protected]. i wish i can attach my pic but i dont know how... thank you for put his pic on this website that i can finally find him.. thanks again and will waiting for good news from you... - Bob Shin -