The harbourmaster's boat, Karetu, pays the Hawaiian voyaging waka Hokole'a a visit after its arrival on Tuesday morning.Photo / Peter de Graaf
Two ocean-going waka have arrived in Northland a year into a four-year around-the world voyage.
The double-hulled waka - or va'a in Hawaiian - arrived at Opua on Tuesday morning after a 26-day trip from American Samoa.
The crews of the Hokole'a and the Hikianalia were welcomed later in the
day at Aurere in Doubtless Bay, where master waka builder Hekenukumai Busby is building a traditional navigation school.
Tomorrow, they will be given a full formal welcome at Waitangi's Te Tii Marae which promises to be a spectacle on water and land. They are due to arrive between noon and 2pm with a powhiri starting at 2.30pm.
The vessels first arrived in the Bay of Islands at 9.30am on Tuesday and were towed to Opua Marina for Customs and biosecurity inspections.