SAILORS from Aotearoa (New Zealand) arrived in the Fijian capital, Suva, today on a journey of rediscovery.
The 16 crew of the double-hulled vaka Te Matau a Maui berthed at the Royal Suva Yacht Club and were greeted by members of the Unto Ni Yalo Trust, custodians of Fiji’s ocean-going Uto Ni Yalo.
Te Matau a Maui arrived in Suva from Samoa and will sail for its home port next week after cultural visits in Fiji, including a courtesy call to Bau Island.
In Maori oral tradition, a voyaging canoe from Aotearoa sailed through the Pacific prior to Christianity, spending time in Samoa, Hawaii and Fiji. The current voyage, known as Te Hokinga (The Return) is an attempt to retrace the original sail.
It is also an effort to unite voyaging communities from across the Pacific to share traditional sailing practices, navigation knowledge and experiences with the next generation of navigators.
Te Matau a Maui and Uto Ni Yalo are sister canoes built in 2009 as part of a fleet of seven vessels which sailed from Aotearoa to French Polynesia, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga and Fiji.
