Yesterday morning at 8:00 a.m., Polynesian voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived at Avatiu Harbor in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Their last visit to Rarotonga was in 2014 during the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

The canoes cleared customs shortly after sunrise at approximately 7:00 a.m. before being welcomed with a traditional arrival ceremony that included greetings by Cook Islands community leaders and dignitaries and a delegation from Hawaiʻi led by Kamehameha Schools representatives and students from Kamehameha Schools Maui. The Maui student group is led by Poʻo Kumu Jay-R Kaʻawa, who is also a Hōkūleʻa crew member, bridging the educational and voyaging missions of the journey.

The arrival ceremony was filled with cultural protocol, beginning with a traditional welcome and chants by Rarotonga schools. The program included ceremonial blessings, cultural performances, and official speeches by RAC Chairman Bishop Tutai Pere MBE, Kaumaiti Nui, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, and Secretary of Cultural Development Emile Kairua. The program also featured a pōhaku presentation and special cultural performances by Mrs. Teata Moeara and the students of Kamehameha Schools Maui. A full traditional welcome for both canoes is also scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

The voyage from Bora Bora, French Polynesia, to Rarotonga took approximately two days. During the last stretch of the sail, the crew reported almost perfect weather conditions. Winds blew steadily from the south-southeast with a consistent south swell. There were no squalls, only low-lying cloud cover, allowing the canoes to average about 7 knots and travel close to 150 nautical miles each day. The fair weather not only made for efficient sailing but also allowed for moments of camaraderie, with crew members bringing out a guitar and enjoying music sessions on deck.

Navigator Kaʻiulani Murphy first sighted land on Monday evening, identifying the island of Mitiaro in the southern Cook Islands before the crew sighted Rarotonga yesterday afternoon. The canoes then held position offshore overnight before entering the harbor this morning after clearing customs.

Rarotonga, the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands, is the nation’s vibrant capital and cultural hub. Surrounded by a protective reef, the mountainous island is famed for its lush interior peaks, white-sand beaches, and deep-rooted Polynesian traditions that continue to shape daily life.

Hōkūleʻa’s captain for the leg from Bora Bora to Rarotonga was Captain Kamaki Worthington, who has ancestral ties to Rarotonga through his mother’s Rarotongan heritage. Also part of the Hōkūleʻa crew is Cook Islander and Pwo navigator Tua Pittman.

During their stay in Rarotonga, the crews of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia, along with the Hawaiʻi delegation representing the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Kamehameha Schools, and the Office of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, will participate in cultural and educational exchanges. The delegation and crews are being hosted by the Cook Islands Ministry of Culture, the House of Ariki, and the Prime Minister’s office.

This arrival reaffirms the long-standing relationship between the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Cook Islands voyaging community, a bond that has remained strong since Hōkūleʻa’s first visit during the Voyage of Rediscovery (1985-1987) and her subsequent visit in 1992 for the Festival of Pacific Arts.

The canoes are expected to stay in Rarotonga for approximately two weeks. The next destination will be Aitutaki.

Photo Gallery: Bora Bora to Rarotonga Sail