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HINE MOANA & UTO NI YALO - Polynesian vaka (voyaging canoes), Auckland, New Zealand. -------------- Anyone gazing across Auckland's Waitemata Harbour today could have been forgiven for thinking the next great wave of Polynesian migration had begun. Four traditional ocean-going vaka, each carrying a crew of around 16, sailed around the Auckland's inner harbour, their skippers fine tuning their vessels in readiness for their departure on Wednesday 14th April (providing the weather gods are in benevolent mood) for an epic Pacific passage to French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. The four vaka, seen here with the classic 1898-built Arch Logan gaff cutter RAINBOW (A7) off Ngataringa Bay near the Auckland Harbour Bridge, were constructed at the Salthouse boatyard in Greenhithe, Auckland and utilise modern construction techniques and technology (two of the vessels use solar energy to power auxilliary propulsion systems) as well as traditional rope lashings. The hulls are made of E-glass and foam. The idea for today's regatta and upcoming Pacific voyages are the brainchild of German philanthropic organisation Okeanos, a group dedicated to highlighting the environmental pressures and threats affecting the world's oceans. The upcoming ocean voyage is aimed at re-establishing cultural links and highlighting key environmental issues affecting the island nations of the Pacific and their peoples. One vaka will remain behind at each of the destinations visited by the fleet, that vessel to be used for crew training. It will also be used for cultural and educational purposes. The four vaka sailing in today's Te Kumete O Te Moana regatta were Te Matua a Maui (NZ crew) Hine Moana (Western Samoa, Vanuatu, Tongan crew), Uto Ni Yalo (Fijian crew) and Maramaru Atua (Cook Island crew). A fifth vaka, Faafaite, will join the fleet en-route in Tahiti. A much longer Pacific voyage will take place next year when Auckland will host a gathering of seven of these magnificent vessels prior to their departure for Hawaii via French Polynesia. 11 April 2010. Photo by SeapixOnline.com/Trevor Coppock
 

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