An 11-metre-long hybrid Polynesian waka hourua (double hulled sailing waka) built by Te Manawa o Titiroa Trust (the Trust) will be officially launched on Lake Manapouri this Saturday morning (22nd October).

The Trust intends to use the vessel to teach environmental stewardship, traditional wayfinding and kaupapa Māori.

To help finance these educational activities, the plan is to have some commercial use of the boat.

The Trust is a not for profit organisation. Any profits made will be returned to the community for educational and environmental purposes.

The story of the waka that is about to be launched began 25 years ago, when Stew Burnby of Te Anau started building a catamaran based on the Easy SS10 design by Peter Snell of Queensland, Australia.

It was designed to be home-built and to accommodate 6 people on board. The progress with construction halted when Burnby’s circumstances changed, and he put the unfinished boat under cover in storage.

Waka hourua, artist impression of that it would look like on the water. Photo supplied

Fast forward to 2020, when Rua Paul, a Māori boat builder, artist, carver and teacher began floating an idea of building of a sailing waka, in Manapouri. 

“I came to this part of the country with plans to build a 9 metre waka hourua. I wanted to sail in the Southern Lakes, Manapouri, Te Anau, Wakatipu, around the south-west coast and the fiords Piopiotahi Milford Sound, Patea Doubtful Sound, Tamatea Dusky Sound, and around Rakiura,” Paul said.

“With the amount of interest shown by the Fiordland community in the building of the waka, the Te Manawa o Titiroa Trust was formed to run the Waka IwI (people’s waka) project." 

Members of the Trust are passionate about sharing the rich cultural heritage of their Polynesian sea voyaging ancestors, and wayfinding leadership. 

In November 2020 the building of the waka was begun.  

“One day Rua came to ask about sails for the boat he was planning to build. I showed him my hulls and ended up selling it [the unfinished boat] to Rua for the cost of materials,” Burnby said.

The hulls were then transported to the barn at John and Inge Barker’s Barnyard Backpackers where Paul with the help of enthusiasts changed the original design of the boat, cutting the hull down to form an open-hull waka in accordance with the plans he had. 

In May 2022 the waka was moved to the boat shed of a boat builder and repairer Bruce Keen of Invercargill, where it was worked on by Keen, the Trust members and other volunteers.

In July 2022 the Trust received funding from Tepūtahitanga Te Waipounamu Wave Funding. This enabled them to finish the hulls of the waka hourua, and fund the necessary safety and compliance permits. It will also allow the Trust to recruit crew to sail the waka for the months ahead. 

On Wednesday, 19 October, the waka was transported from Invercargill to Manapouri, where trialing began.

Early in the morning on Saturday, 22 October there will be a dawn ceremony of naming the waka, starting at 6.30am. 

The public will have the opportunity to view and get on board of the waka on Saturday and Sunday, 22-23 October.

A trial floating of the waka hourua, ahead of Saturday's official launch. Photo: Alina Suchanski

The whanau will celebrate the Māori way – with music, waiata, dancing and sharing food from a hangi.

Members of the public are welcome to join in the dawn naming ceremony as well as the celebrations from 11am to 3pm Saturday and Sunday.