Rua tekau mā whā ngā kaumoana Māori, Pasifika anō hoki kua tohua kia whakatere i a Haunui Waka ki te motu o Norfolk a tērā marama. He haerenga tēnei e whai wāhi ai rātau ki te whakangungu i mua i te haerenga ki te hui ahurei toi ki hawaii i te tau rua mano, rua tekau.
Kia uia ngā kaumoana o Te Toki Waka Hourua, "me pēhea rā te tangata e eke tangaroa ki tai pāmamao?" Ko tā rātau whakahoki, 'ka timata ki te whenua'.
Koia ko tā Pera Waaka o Tuhoe ki Waikato, "Ko te mahi matua he tiaki i te waka, ā, ka tiaki te waka i a mātau."
Ka whakawhānui ake a Kereama Mcleod (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Te Āti Awa) i tērā whakaaro, arā, "Maintenance is a key foundation for our crew, moving on from that then we can start pushing our crew into learning things about navigation, sailing and way-finding."
He whitu tekau mano tāra kia whakarite i te waka, kia hoko tīkiti rerengi e āhei ai ngā kaumoana ki te whakawhiti, kia whakaako hoki ki rō kura ki Norfolk. Neke atu i te tekau mā rima mano tāra kua kohia e rātau.
Hei tā Marama Beamish, (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki) o Haunui Waka, "When it's us actually trying to train and develop our skillset, that's where we have to fundraise. It's awesome that our whole crew and extended whānau were just like yep we'll get behind you and make that possible for you guys."
Ko tā Kereama Mcleod he kaumoana matatau, he kaumoana āhua tauhou anō hoki ka puta atu i tēnei haerenga e heke mai nei. Āpiti atu kia tau ai te wairua i runga te waka, ka whai wāhi atu ngā tāne me ngā wāhine hei whakatinana i ngā ira o te waka.
"The main mast represents the main element on our waka our driving force, and the mizzen mast that represents our guidance, it represents the female element of our waka," te kī a Kereama Mcleod.
He toru ki te whā wiki te roa o te haerenga atu me te hokinga mai, ā, mā te taiao ngā kaumoana e arataki. He mahi whangungu kia rite rātau hai haerenga nui ki Hawaii a te tau 2020.
Ko tā Beamish, "That will be massive haerenga in 2020, it'll probably last a year all up with different legs and crew rotating through so we just need to upskill in all areas really.
Tekau mā waru tau noa te pakeke o Pera Waaka, kua ono tau ia e eke ana i ngā tai o Aotearoa nā kō tēnei tōna haerenga tuatahi ki ngā moana uriuri, "Ka ako mātau ngā hau, te moana, te rā, te mārama me ngā whetū."
Hai te puku o Mahuru wehe atu ai a Hanui Waka.