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For the first time in generations, four waka hourua will travel together from North to South this week on a multi-day journey for the Te Hau Kōmaru festival in Kaiteriteri. The festival celebrates the incredibly rich history of traditional navigation in Aotearoa.
One of those taking on the challenge is Te Matau a Māui, based in Hawke’s Bay. Reporter Mitchell Hageman catches up with skipper Te Kaha (TK) Hawaikirangi as he and his crew prepare for the journey of a lifetime.
There’s a simple saying that skipper Te Kaha Hawaikirangi uses when he and his crew prepare their majestic waka hourua for a voyage.
“We look after the waka on land, and when we’re on the water, the waka looks after us.”
They have been implementing this saying for months, following stringent health and safety protocols, training like their ancestors once did, and even fending off potential bandits who wanted to vandalise the boat.
“We had someone on board trying to muck around with the sails and things like that,” Hawaikirangi said.
Luckily, no damage was done, but that didn’t mean getting the waka ready for a multi-day trip from Hawke’s Bay to Kaiteriteri near Nelson was easy or would be easy on the water.
“Our biggest challenge will be making sure we time crossing the Cook Strait correctly; that can be a challenging channel to go through if you don’t have your wits about you and pick the right currents and winds.”
Te Matau a Māui waka hourua skipper Te Kaha Hawaikirangi (TK) with his crew ready to depart for the Te Hau Kōmaru festival in Kaiteriteri, Te Wai Pounamu this weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor
Te Matau a Māui is a 22-metre waka hourua (double-hulled voyaging canoe) named after the Hawke’s Bay area, where in legend Māui foul-hooked a great fish with his grandmother’s jawbone.
Built in 2009, it utilises traditional designs and is owned by Ngāti Kahungunu iwi and managed by the Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust.
Kaiteriteri, where the festival is held, is about 10 nautical miles north of Nelson.
“Te Hau Kōmaru literally means ‘the wind in our sails’. The festival helps promote the traditions of waka hourua,” Hawaikirangi said.
It is run every two years for a week and includes community open days and school group tours. It also includes a star compass and navigation, as well as rides.
Subsequently, it is also the waka’s first voyage in two years.
“The journey down to Nelson will take three to four days. We’ll be travelling alongside another four waka; two will depart from Napier, and two will depart from Gisborne.”
Hawaikirangi said on Sunday that he and his crew of 15 felt very well prepared to undertake the journey and that everyone was excited to head to the South Island.
“The South Island hasn’t seen four waka hourua in generations, so it’s pretty special for us to be a part of that and reconnect.”
There will be three watches on the journey, consisting of four hours on and eight hours off. A large portable chiller will store food, and bottled water is readily available to keep the crew hydrated.
For Hawaikirangi, one of the most gratifying things is seeing the younger generation take an interest in the tradition and keep it alive as they learn.
The key things people needed to be part of the crew were passion and interest.
“It’s about being committed and able to train. There’s a tikanga on the waka, so it’s about being able to stick to the tikanga, which includes health and safety.
“To be a skipper, there’s that kotahitanga (unity or solidarity) and rangatiratanga (self-determination). We need to make sure we are a whānau when we are out there and working together.”
Hawaikirangi said voyages like these were crucial in keeping the spirit and mana of the waka alive.
“She isn’t here to sit here and look pretty. We need to make sure she stretches her legs.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
