Waka is the Maori word for canoe, the main watercraft of the South Pacific. Maori arrived in New Zealand in of seagoing outrigger canoes, but once the population was established, they used smaller canoes for inshore fishing and later developed the large waka toa for warfare.
Seagoing waka used sails, but waka toa were designed for quick inshore skirmishing, and relied on manpower; many men paddling in unison. To time their oars, many fine chants have been written. In the waka toa, Te Kowhai, you will learn how to use the traditional paddling technique and chant as
we travel through the local Otukaikino (styx) area, a former sacred burial ground (wai tapu).
Your South Island Maori cultural experience will be complete when you combine the Ko Tane Experience with a Katoro Waka Heritage Journey. Please follow the link to find out more and book your Katoro experience.