Waka end four-month voyage on Easter Island coast

The Northland-built, double-hulled waka leave Auckland at the start
 of their epic journey to Easter Island. Photo / Alan MacGillivray

Two New Zealand waka have ended an epic four-month voyage on the coast of Easter Island.

The two waka hourua (double-hulled sailing canoes) have been retracing a historic 5000-nautical mile voyage across the Pacific using only traditional navigation techniques.

The trip has been the dream of Hekenukumai "Hec" Busby, the master waka builder who built both waka Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti, and its elder sibling Te Aurere in his Doubtless Bay workshop.

At 80, he wasn't able to take part in the full trip, but has flown to Rapanui (Easter Island) and will be taken out to the waka by boat tomorrow so he can sail in with the other 20 sailors.

The Waka Tapu left Auckland in August, sailing the southeastern side of the Polynesian triangle navigating the ocean using the stars, sun, moon, ocean currents, birds and other marine life.

The other sides of the triangle - from Aotearoa to Hawaii, and Hawaii to Rapanui - have already been sailed.


The waka made only two stops during the voyage, at Tubuai and Mangareva, both in French Polynesia.

Captain of Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti, Jack Thatcher, said the crew had just dropped the anchor off the Northern end of Rapanui, just outside of Hanga Tetenga.

- APNZ