14/05/2026
50 years after the historic maiden voyage of the Hōkūleʻa from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti, some of our Tapasā team and youth had the incredible privilege of stepping aboard this legendary waka here in Tāmaki Makaurau 🌺
For many of our young people, this was more than just visiting a vessel… it was a chance to physically stand within a living legacy of Pacific navigation, resilience, and ancestral knowledge. To hear the stories of navigators like Papa Mau, learn about the deep whakapapa of the moana, and witness the care and intention held within Hōkūleʻa was something truly special.
Through Sāuni, our climate resilience collective, we continue creating spaces where Pacific young people and their communities can reconnect with ancestral knowledge while imagining the futures they want to lead. We are blessed to do this in collaboration with
Experiences like this remind us that innovation and resilience have always existed within our cultures. 🌊
Alongside exploring the and the Hawaiki exhibition, we also learnt practical knot-tying skills used on waka ⚓️
A massive thank you to the for welcoming our community with so much warmth and generosity. To witness our youth standing aboard Hōkūleʻa - eyes wide, asking questions, connecting stories back to their own identities wa so special!! 💙
The voyage of Hōkūleʻa continues to inspire generations across Moana Nui a Kiwa, and we are grateful our people could experience even a small part of that living history 🤎