Te Au o Tonga ("the mist of the South") [1] is a reconstruction of a vaka moana, a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe. It was built in 1994 by former Cook Islands Prime Minister Thomas Davis and the Cook Islands Voyaging Society. [2] It was used to teach polynesian navigation.
The vaka is made of laminated wood, 72 feet long, with a displacement of 10 to 12 tons, and a crew of 18. [1] It has inspired other designs, [3] being used by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea as a model for a group of fibreglass-hulled replicas, including Marumaru Atua, [4] and later by the Te Aurere Voyaging Society in New Zealand as a model for their kauri-hulled Te Aurere. [5] It has also featured in the film The Legend of Johnny Lingo. [4]
Since 2002 the vaka has been based in Aitutaki. [4] In 2012 it completed a refit, with repairs to the hull and crossbeams. [3] In 2014 it completed a further refit, which replaced the hull, decks, and spars. [6] It is currently used for training and tourism trips in the Aitutaki lagoon. [6]
Te Au o Tonga ("the mist of the South") [1] is a reconstruction of a vaka moana, a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe. It was built in 1994 by former Cook Islands Prime Minister Thomas Davis and the Cook Islands Voyaging Society. [2] It was used to teach polynesian navigation.
The vaka is made of laminated wood, 72 feet long, with a displacement of 10 to 12 tons, and a crew of 18. [1] It has inspired other designs, [3] being used by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea as a model for a group of fibreglass-hulled replicas, including Marumaru Atua, [4] and later by the Te Aurere Voyaging Society in New Zealand as a model for their kauri-hulled Te Aurere. [5] It has also featured in the film The Legend of Johnny Lingo. [4]
Since 2002 the vaka has been based in Aitutaki. [4] In 2012 it completed a refit, with repairs to the hull and crossbeams. [3] In 2014 it completed a further refit, which replaced the hull, decks, and spars. [6] It is currently used for training and tourism trips in the Aitutaki lagoon. [6]