Voyaging canoes near finish line of Rarotonga to Aotearoa leg

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia, Hawaii’s iconic voyaging canoes, are on the final days of the 15th leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage, a deep-sea sail from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, to Aotearoa (New Zealand). Today marks Day 16 of the journey, with the crews reporting steady progress and strong spirits despite encountering challenging weather conditions.

Challenging conditions yield to favorable winds

While the voyage has been smooth for the most part, the crews had several challenging days over the last week. The canoes had to sail against strong winds, navigate through a 100% cloud cover, and faced intense weather systems, including large cells of lightning that “posed real danger,” according to the voyage report.

As the canoes approached the colder southern latitudes, the voyagers felt a drop in temperature. Persistent cloud cover also made traditional navigation more difficult, obscuring the stars, sun and other natural cues, forcing navigators to depend solely on the wind and waves. However, winds have now turned favorable, and both canoes are sailing comfortably as they prepare to make landfall, estimated to be later this week.

Several days ago, the crews reported seeing seabirds, an indication of the Kermadec Islands, an important point along their journey. More recently, whales, dolphins and albatross have been spotted.

Kapu observed ahead of formal welcome

Since the canoes are likely to make landfall in Aotearoa before the scheduled welcome ceremony, the crew will observe a “kapu,” or a state of quiet reflection with no public engagements. This period of quiet is maintained until the two waʻa (canoes) are formally received in ceremony by the tangata whenua (ancestral people of the land). Over the course of the next week, the crew will be “preparing spiritually and emotionally for the extraordinary series of ceremonies” scheduled at Waitangi from November 14 to 16.

The Moananuiākea Voyage is a 43,000-nautical mile circumnavigation of the Pacific by traditional voyaging canoe, aiming to ignite a movement of cultural and environmental stewardship. The Polynesian Voyaging Society, the nonprofit organization that manages the voyage, uses the legendary double-hulled canoes to blend “ancestral wisdom with contemporary science to inspire care for the earth and one another.”

Upcoming events in Aotearoa

A series of public events and ceremonies are scheduled to welcome the canoes and honor the long-standing voyaging relationship between Hawaiʻi and Aotearoa:

• Waitangi (Nov. 14 – 16): The canoes are scheduled to arrive at Te Tii Bay on Nov. 14, followed by a pōwhiri, a formal, sacred Māori welcoming ceremony at Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae from 3 to 6 p.m. Nov. 15, includes a dawn ceremony and a 40th Tribute ceremony honoring Sir James Henare, Sir Hector Busby and Hawaiian leader Myron “Pinky” Thompson, the father of society Chief Executive Officer Nainoa Thompson.
• Auckland (Nov. 18 – 19): Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are set to arrive in Waitematā Harbor Nov. 18 and be formally welcomed by the Ngāti Whātua Orākei tribe. On Nov. 19, Nainoa Thompson is scheduled to deliver a presentation at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education.
• Aurere (Nov. 22): The canoes will sail north from Auckland for Aurere, the homeland of the late Māori Pwo navigator and waka builder Sir Hector Busby, to honor his leadership and role in reviving Māori voyaging. An event including Kaupapa Waka and Hawaiian culture will be hosted by the Te Tai Tokerau Tārai Waka, the crew, and students and staff of Kamehameha Schools.

Following their New Zealand engagements, the canoes will enter dry dock for maintenance and remain in Aotearoa for approximately six months to wait out the South Pacific hurricane season before continuing their journey through the Pacific in 2026.