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Story: Canoe traditions

Garden of seven stones, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Garden of seven stones, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

In the early 20th century the varied Māori accounts of founding canoes were simplified into a belief in a Great Fleet of seven canoes (Tākitimu, Tokomaru, Kurahaupō, Aotea, Tainui, Te Arawa and Mataatua). This garden in Rarotonga with seven stones was constructed to represent the seven canoes.

Using this item

Lois Farrow

by Lois Farrow

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How to cite this page

Rāwiri Taonui, Canoe traditions – The meaning of canoe traditions, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/2376/garden-of-seven-stones-rarotonga-cook-islands (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 4 March 2009.

Comments

romayne
09 February 2012
this web site was actually quite good for my home work i never knw there was this in rarotonga lol :)