'Tainui, ka whiti! Ka whiti!
Te whakawhitinga mai ērā, mai o ngā moana!’
‘Tainui, go forth! Go forth!
Seek out the pathways of the oceans!’
Tai timu, tai pari, Tainui: Journey of a people tells the epic story of Tainui – New Zealand’s largest tribal grouping. The Tainui people invite you to journey with them, from their origins in East Polynesia to their lives in present-day Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
Follow the courage and resourcefulness of their early ancestors, who voyaged across the Pacific to establish themselves in Aotearoa New Zealand. Admire the resilience and adaptability of subsequent generations in facing the challenges that confronted them, especially the arrival of European settlers. Marvel at the stories of their inspirational leaders and taonga (cultural treasures).
Tai timu, tai pari, Tainui: Journey of a people was developed in conjunction with the Tainui Waka Alliance – an association of five Tainui iwi (tribes): Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Kawerau-a-Maki, and Waikato.
Find out more
More about King Tāwhiao's kotiate, 'Apanui'
Learn about King Tāwhiao's fern collection and use of these plants as rongoā (medicinal healing).
Tainui children artworks
Children from Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere in Putāruru have created stunning paintings and stone carvings.
See the artworks on display in Te Huka ā Tai Discovery Centre, Level 4.