Polynesian peoples settled Aotearoa ( New Zealand ) over 1000 years ago, having navigated the Pacific Ocean by the stars . They were the first to witness and acknowledge it’s incredible beauty, and assigned names and legend to the natural features that were in abundance.
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Te- Kurī a Pāoa T shirt Print (Te Reo )
The discovery of ‘Aotearoa’ (New Zealand) is said to have begun with Kupe, the great navigator of Tahiti and Rarotonga, who set sail in search of southern lands around 950 ad. After many months at sea, and low on provisions, he and his crew finally sighted ‘the land of the long white cloud’. He returned to his people with the news, which set in motion future voyages, including that of the canoe ‘Horouta’, which arrived around 1250 ad.
Commanded by the rangatira Paoa, and his priest Kiwa, the Horouta cruised along the east coast before reaching what is now Gisborne harbour. Kiwa named this new place ‘Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, “the standing place of Kiwa”. Paoa inspected the area on foot, and when reaching a high hill past Muriwai, he called it “Te
Kurī a Pāoa”, after his dog who was accompanying him at the time.
On the 8th of October 1769, the English ship Endeavour, captained by James Cook sighted Te kurī a Pāoa. Cook gave it the name “Young Nicks Head”, after the surgeon’s boy who was credited with seeing it first. Cook proceeded to claim Aotearoa for the English, and called it ‘New Zealand’.
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