Watch NZH Local Focus: Ngati Kahungunu voyage to protest

The food is being loaded on, and the beds are being made.

Te Matau a Māui is ready to set sail on a voyage - but it's not your usual voyage.

Ani McGuire of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga says: "We are heading out on our waka, preparing it to head out to the Amazon Warrior, aka 'the beast' to make them aware that we don't want them here on our waters."

The Amazon Warrior is searching for oil for companies Chevron and Statoil.

Greenpeace have been actively protesting against the ship's seismic blasting.

Ngāti Kahungunu is continuing that protest.

"I don't like what they're doing it there it can be good for the sea life out there. I'm out here to see it for my own eyes," Ms McGuire says.

Te Matau a Māui set sail on Saturday afternoon to be south of the ship by Sunday night, 60 miles away from Napier - off the coast of Porangahau.

That's when 25 to 30 knot southerlies are expected to hit.

Skipper Deon Wong says they plan to stay outside the 500m exclusion zone.

"We're taking the message of the wahanu of Aotearoa and tell them they're not welcome, tell them to pack up their stuff and leave."

The iwi aren't sure how the Amazon Warrior crew will respond to the peaceful protest.

"If they do they will probably just be silent over the radio, our korero will be over the radio and with the visuals that we have," Mr Wong says.

Signs are also being used to communicate their message.

Ms McGuire says Māori are connected to the land which is connected to the moana.

"We've already seen...all the pollution that's already out there and then you've got the Amazon Warrior blasting up the sea bed and interrupting all this sea life and it's just not fair."

The voyage was brought forward a day due to weather conditions.

It is expected to take three days in total.

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