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Regional | Bay of Plenty

Hawaiki Rising Voyaging Trust take ancient seafaring to the people

In the Bay of Plenty, a new venture has been launched taking passengers on a week-long canoe voyage.

The Hawaiki Rising Voyaging Trust is taking 10 passengers aboard the waka hourua, Hinemoana, on a maiden voyage from Tauranga to Coromandel Harbour.

Its Māori crew of five will care for the group who are paying $1,600 per person for the experience.

"We’ve always wanted to expose as many of our people as we can to waka and the waka life,” said crew member, Pat Mohi.

“The kōrero of our ancestors, reading the stars, wind conditions, sea patterns, cloud formations, all that kind of stuff we believe is empowering for our people to know,” he said.

Passenger Juscinta Grace (Ngāti Porou) says she’s feeling anxious about the trip but excited as well.

“It will be great to learn about sailing an ocean voyaging canoe and the seafaring ways of our ancestors,” she said.

The passengers will eat, sleep and work on board the waka until they arrive at Coromandel Harbour in a week.

Watch the full story on Te Kāea at 5.30pm