The Northland-made waka Te Hono ki Aotearoa has made its first trip away from its base in Holland, appearing on the River Thames as part of the City of London Festival.
Made by Doubtless Bay waka rangatira Hec Busby, Te Hono ki Aotearoa (The Link to New Zealand)
was paddled by a 16-strong crew made up of members of the Nga Waka Federation, London-based cultural group Ngati Ranana and the Njord Royal Rowing Club from Holland.
The waka was later displayed near St Paul's Cathedral.
Accompanying the waka on its first deployment outside Holland were five Northlanders of the iwi Ngati Kahu.
Te Hono ki Aotearoa is based at the Volkenkunde Museum in the Dutch city of Leiden but is owned by arts organisation Toi Maori.
Two more members of Nga Waka Federation are about to leave New Zealand to join a fleet of Grand Ronde canoes on a seven-day journey up the west coast of the US. They are Joe Conrad, kaihautu (captain) of the great waka Ngatokimatawhaorua based at Waitangi, and his daughter Waimirirangi.
