Kupe
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Kupe was a Polynesian explorer who, according to Māori history, was the first person to discover New Zealand. He is generally held to have been born to a father from Rarotonga and a mother from Raʻiāt
Detail of Kupe and his wife Kūrāmarotini from the statue on the Wellington waterfront
Stephenson Percy Smith, 1905
House carving showing Kupe (holding a paddle), with two sea creatures at his feet
Motukiore Island - where Kupe placed the Kiore on his arrival
Raʻiātea
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Raʻiātea or Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in
Kupe
…to Māori history, was the first person to discover New Zealand. He is generally held to have been born to a father from Rarotonga and a mother from Raʻiātea, and probably spoke a Māori proto-language similar to Cook Islands Māori or Tahitian. His voyage to New Zealand ensured that the land was known to the…
The islands of Bora Bora (top) Tahaa (middle) and Raiatea (bottom). Tahaa and Raiatea share the same lagoon.
Taputapuatea marae, an ancient marae mentioned in the traditions of Polynesian peoples, including, for example, the Māori of Aotearoa. This is where the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūle'a landed on its first voyage in 1976.
The Royal Family of Raiatea in the 1880s, when Raiatea became a French Protectorate. In the background, holding the flag, is Teraupo.
Aerial view of the island