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Hero image for Kupe - Voyaging by the Stars

Part one of three from this full length documentary.

Part two of three from this full length documentary.

Part three of three from this full length documentary.

The credits for this documentary.

Part one of three from this full length documentary.

Part one of three from this full length documentary.

Part two of three from this full length documentary.

Part two of three from this full length documentary.

Part three of three from this full length documentary.

Part three of three from this full length documentary.

The credits for this documentary.

The credits for this documentary.

Kupe - Voyaging by the Stars

Television (Full Length) – 1993

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According to Māori legend Aotearoa was found by the explorer Kupe, chasing an octopus from Ra'iatea, Tahiti. This documentary follows Northland building contractor Hekenukumai 'Hector' Busby, as he leads the construction of a waka hourua (double-hulled canoe), then retraces Kupe's course across the Pacific, back to Rarotonga. Busby first heads to Tahiti to learn navigation methods used by Polynesia's great ocean voyagers, then returns home to fell a kauri and begin building Te Aurere. Busby would go on to build at least another 20 waka; he passed away in May 2019.

Waka can be built and maintained with the simplest of tools, but this way’s quicker, and Hec’s not shy of the 20th Century!
– Narrator Glynnis Paraha, on Busby’s use of his bridge building machinery to help with the waka construction

Key Cast & Crew

Pita Turei

Director

Ian John

Producer

Norelle Scott

Writer

Michael Hedges

Sound Mix

Dean Hapeta (aka Te Kupu)

Composer

Don Matthewson

Sound

See all 10 credits

Produced by

Nimrod Films

Source

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Acknowledgements

Made with funding from NZ On Air

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