Response to Mr D Gordon letter to Editor 19 Oct 12

Like Mr. Gordon I to question the standard of NZ's investigative journalism. I have not seen one article extolling the intrepid courage seamanship skills and traditional celestial navigation knowledge that has been revived and restored into the knowledge bank of our people. The Celestial navigating knowledge we know today would equate perhaps to a single page from a hundred page traditional 'master mariner manual” my ancestors of Polynesia and Micronesia would have consulted before launching out on 'Blue Ocean” voyages. They might not have used terms familiar to Mr. Gordon eg nautical miles, latitude, points of the compass, knots they had their own terms that gave them that knowledge - yes I believe a thorough investigative journal article would have clarified this for Mr. Gordon and many others who doubt the maritime skills of my ancestors

However their 'MMM's” were nothing like manuals Mr. Gordon would have been familiar with during his professional merchant navy career. Their charts were crude and rudimentary made from sticks shells and plant fibres - in their hands and with an absolute understanding and familiarity with their total environment celestial and terrestrial those 'manuals” unerringly charted for them a passage through the vast Pacific Ocean to an island destination of their choosing. With his maritime background Mr. Gordon should know that there are legal obligations to meet minimum safety requirements in order to sail offshore - again a good well researched investigative journalism piece would have informed us of that fact.

The purpose of the Waka Tapu voyage is to travel what we know as the third side of the Polynesian Triangle that being Hawaii, Aotearoa(NZ) and Rapanui(Easter Island). The Maori and Hawaiians have voyaged between our homelands the Hawaiians have voyaged to and from Hawaii to Rapanui our two canoes are voyaging to and back from Rapanui to symbolically close the triangle. On their departure from Auckland on August 17^th present were crew members from Team NZ who know the challenges and dangers of Blue ocean voyaging - their comments said with respect was that the voyagers were either 'fearless or crazy 'or a mixture of both.

Tauranga holds a very privileged position in the Polynesian Navigation Society Mr. Jack Thatcher is a recognized Master Polynesian Navigator and is a lecturer/tutor of this ancient knowledge the beneficiaries being both our local youth and those from other tribes. There will be a total of 7 persons from Tauranga involved in the voyage that is not counting their many family members who will be praying for a safe passage and return home. Located at Sulphur Point is a Polynesian star compass that would be very educational for those interested in Maritime navigation

In April last year a fleet of five double hulled canoes left Auckland on an ocean voyage that covered 30,000 nautical miles one being captained by Mr. Te Mihinui Kawe with other crew members also from Tauranga. The voyage was sponsored/funded by a German Philanthropist Mr. Deiter Paulman who has a long involvement and a deep concern for the plight of the Pacific Ocean and its inhabitants both human and animal.

In conclusion I would invite Mr. Gordon to join me at the Nautilus Café Sulphur Point for a meet and greet where we can exchange points of view and if need be amicably agree to disagree.

Huikakahu Kawe, Chairman Ngati Ranginui Iwi