Traditional double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia arrived Thursday at Avatiu Harbor in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, for the most recent stop on their Moananuiākea Voyage around the Pacific Ocean.
It marks a significant return to the island nation for the first time since 1992.
The waʻa were welcomed with a traditional ceremony that included greetings from Cook Islands community leaders and dignitaries as well as a delegation from Hawaiʻi led by Kamehameha Schools representatives and Kamehameha Schools Maui students.
Poʻo Kumu Jay-R Kaʻawa, who is also a Hōkūleʻa crew member, led the Maui student group — bridging the educational and voyaging missions of the journey.
Arrival festivities were filled with cultural protocol, beginning with a traditional welcome and chants by Rarotonga schools.
Ceremonial blessings, cultural performances and official speeches were mixed in, featuring Cook Islands Religious Advisory Council Chairman Bishop Tutai Pere, a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and Kaumaiti Nui, or president of the House of Ariki; Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown; and Cook Islands Secretary of Cultural Development Emile Kairua.
A pōhaku presentation and special cultural performances by Teata Moeara and the students of Kamehameha Schools Maui were also part of the program.
A full traditional welcome for both canoes is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
The voyage from Bora Bora, French Polynesia, to Rarotonga took about 2 days. During the last stretch of the sail, the crew reported almost perfect weather conditions.
Winds blew steadily from the south-southeast with a consistent south swell. There were no squalls, only low-lying cloud cover, allowing the waʻa to average about 7 knots and travel close to 150 nautical miles each day.
The fair weather made for efficient sailing and allowed for moments of camaraderie, with crew members bringing out a guitar and enjoying music sessions on deck.
Navigator Kaʻiulani Murphy first sighted land Monday evening, identifying the island of Mitiaro in the southern Cook Islands before the crew sighted Rarotonga the afternoon of Aug. 19.
The canoes held their position offshore overnight, entering the harbor Thursday morning after clearing customs.
Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. It is the nation’s capital and a vibrant cultural hub.
The mountainous island surrounded by a protective reef is famed for its lush interior peaks, white-sand beaches and deep-rooted Polynesian traditions that continue to shape daily life.
Hōkūleʻa’s captain for this leg of the voyage — from Bora Bora to the Cook Islands capital — is Capt. Kamaki Worthington, who has ancestral ties to Rarotonga through his mother’s Rarotongan heritage.
Also part of the Hōkūleʻa crew is Cook Islander and pwo navigator Tua Pittman.
Crews of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia — along with the Hawaiʻi delegation representing the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Kamehameha Schools and Office of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi — will participate in cultural and educational exchanges during their visit.
Their arrival reaffirms the long-standing relationship between the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Cook Islands voyaging community, a bond that remains strong now almost 40 years since Hōkūleʻa’s first visit during the Voyage of Rediscovery and her subsequent visit in 1992 for the Festival of Pacific Arts.
The canoes are expected to stay about 2 weeks in Rarotonga before heading to the next destination of Aitutaki on their 43,000-nautical mile voyage.
Follow Polynesian Voyaging Society’s social media @hokuleacrew on Facebook and Instagram for the latest voyage updates.
A live voyaging tracking map and updates also can be found at the society website.
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