After two weeks at sea, voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are now on the final stretch of their sail from Rarotonga, Cook Islands to Aotearoa (New Zealand), which is the 15th leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage. November 4th marks Day 15 of the deep-sea journey, which has had both challenging and good weather conditions, with the crews reporting steady progress and strong spirits.

While the voyage has been smooth for the most part, the crew did encounter several challenging days over the last week. The canoes had to sail against strong winds, navigate through 100 percent cloud cover and faced intense weather systems, including large cells of lightning that posed real danger.

In recent days, the voyagers felt the drop in temperature as they approached the colder southern latitudes. Persistent cloud cover has also made traditional navigation more difficult, obscuring the stars, sun, and other natural cues, leaving navigators to depend on just the wind and waves.

Several days ago, the crews reported seeing seabirds, an indication of the Kermadec Islands, an important point along their journey. More recently, whales, dolphins and albatross have been spotted. Winds have now turned favorable, and both canoes are sailing comfortably as they prepare to make landfall in the coming days, estimated to be later this week.

Since the canoes will likely make landfall in Aotearoa before the scheduled welcome ceremony, the crew will observe a “kapu” which places them in a state of quiet reflection with no public engagements until the two waʻa are formally received in ceremony by the tangata whenua (ancestral people of the land). Over the course of the next week, the crew will be preparing spiritually and emotionally for the extraordinary series of ceremonies taking place at Waitangi from November 14 – 16.

Scheduled Public Events in Aotearoa

Waitangi:

Friday, November 14 – The canoes will arrive at Te Tii Bay followed by a pōwhiri, a formal, sacred Māori welcoming ceremony at Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 15 – At dawn, a ceremony will be held to unveil a special carving representing Ngāti Ruawāhia, and a 40th Tribute ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. honoring Sir James Henare, Sir Hector Busby and Hawaiian leader Myron Pinky Thompson, Nainoa’s father who served as PVS president for about two decades.

Sunday, November 16 – The canoes will remain at Te Tii Bay through Sunday, November 16, with a series of events hosted by Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae, with community support and in collaboration with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Kamehameha Schools. Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia depart for Auckland.

Auckland:

Tuesday, November 18 – Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrive in Waitematā Harbor and are formally welcomed by the Ngāti Whātua Orākei tribe.

Wednesday, November 19 – PVS CEO Nainoa Thompson is scheduled to deliver a presentation at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) about the 40-year voyaging relationship that has flourished between Hawaiʻi and Aotearoa.

TBD – Public engagements and dockside canoe tours may take place in the vicinity of the New Zealand Maritime Museum.

Aurere:

Saturday, Nov. 22, 1:00 – 4:30pm – Tauhere, Sir Hek Busby Kupe Waka Centre, 4554 State Highway 10, Lake Ohia, Doubtless Bay. Weather-permitting on November 19, the canoes will sail north from Auckland for Aurere, the homeland of the late Māori Pwo Navigator and waka builder Sir Hector Busby, where the crew will honor his leadership and role in reviving Māori voyaging. The event will include an afternoon of family fun, Kaupapa Waka, and Hawaiian cult in ure featuring Te Tai Tokerau Tārai Waka, crew of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia, and the students and staff of Kamehameha Schools.

Following their New Zealand engagements, the canoes will enter dry dock for maintenance and remain in Aotearoa for approximately six months to wait out the South Pacific hurricane season before continuing their journey through the Pacific in 2026.

Photo Gallery: Hikianalia 

Photo Gallery: Hōkūleʻa Day 15