Te Hekenga ki Tua: Seeking the Horizons
Help fund a traditional waka voyage to Samoa and support the next generation of Pacific navigators through Te Kura Waka.
Bay of Plenty
In 2025, a crew of trainee navigators will sail from Aotearoa to Samoa aboard Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti, navigating using traditional Pacific knowledge — reading the stars, swells, winds, and natural signs.
No GPS. No modern instruments.
This is Te Hekenga ki Tua: Seeking the Horizon — a graduation test for these navigators trained through Te Kura Waka, the school of Pacific celestial navigation, founded by Jack Thatcher to ensure this ancestral knowledge is passed on and practised.
We’re raising up to $150,000 to help fund the voyage, maintain the waka, and support the ongoing training of future navigators.
Tautoko mai.
Help us reach the horizon.
Use of funds
Voyage costs, waka maintenance, safety gear, provisions, travel logistics, and wānanga/training for Te Kura Waka’s future navigators.
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