Hawke's Bay's Te Matau a Maui waka is back in its home port after an extensive voyage through the Pacific as part of a combined waka fleet which helped commemorate 50 years of Cook Island self-governance.
The waka, carrying a mixed crew of young people relatively new to ocean sailing as well as experienced high-seas mariners, left Ahuriri on May 8 and arrived back in the Bay's water last week.
But there was not great fanfare or an extensive welcome home after the waka first made landfall at Napier Port.
The crew were tired, weary and feeling the cold, and more than anything simply wanted to get home to see whanau. So after completing customs paperwork, the waka slid quietly around to its moorings by the Bluewater Hotel and the crew stepped ashore after weeks at sea.
Te Matau a Maui Trust administrator Michelle Smith said there was a welcome but it was played down so the crew, mainly the younger ones, could get to be with their families, who they had missed.