The Tuia Mātauranga GeoTour is about having fun discovering the history of Aotearoa New Zealand by finding sites of significance in local communities from early Pacific voyaging and migration, European settlement to present day. The interaction between people, and people and the land have provided a rich history that the GeoTour invites you to explore.
"Mercury Bay" "Kupe's Crossing" - Pacific Navigation
From this vantage point it is possible to take in the size and magnificence of Mercury Bay. To the right Cooks Beach can be seen the distance where Cook took in the “Transit of Mercury”
Te Whanganui a Hei (Mercury Bay) has great seafaring significance as this is where the great navigator Kupe visited many centuries ago and in 1769 was one of four landing sites for Cook’s ship The Endeavour.
The Coromandel town of Whitianga was originally known as Te Whitianga-Nui-a-Kupe, meaning ‘Kupe’s big crossing place’. According to Māori tradition, Kupe was the first Polynesian explorer to sight The Coromandel. In around 950 AD, before the canoe migrations, Kupe travelled from Ra’iātea, Hawaiki in the mighty double canoe, Matahourua. He is reputed to have made the 2960km journey with his wife Kuramārōtini (or Hine-te-aparangi), their four daughters and Pekahourangi, the tohunga (navigator). The name Aotearoa is said to have come from Hine-te-Aparangi, after first sighting a cloud-covered Moehau mountain. “E Kupe, he aotea, kuaūtātou” (O Kupe, yonder is a cloud, we have landed). The Matahourua’s successful voyage to New Zealand could not have happened without those onboard possessing an extensive knowledge of nature. Wind, wave, clouds, and drifting seaweed were observed as navigational indicators. The flight path of pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo) informed the voyage path. At night, rising stars and phosphorescence marked the way. At dusk, Kupe and his crew navigated by Te Putanga-mai o re Rā (the setting sun passing along the side of the canoe). Kupe eventually left Whitianga and returned to Hawaiki, however many of Kupe's tribe settled in Whitianga. Around 1150 AD, Toi arrived and named the peninsula Te Paeroa-o-Toi. His people intermarried with the Kupe settlers and their descendants were still living when Hei arrived 200 years later. (Source:https://www.thecoromandel.com/travel-planning/coromandel-blogs/kupes-footsteps) /
For more information regarding events in Whitianga
https://allaboutwhitianga.co.nz/mercury-bay-events-guide/art-culture/captain-cook-250th-anniversary-celebrations
Cache is Mint Tin. Containing, Log Book, Stash Note, BYO Pen. Please make sure cache is positioned centre of bracket on table.
To be able to complete this Geotour and receive your special geocoin, remember to take a note of the codeword on the log book of the cache. This will need to be recorded in your passport which can be downloaded from here. If the passport is unavailable for any reason just keep a note of the codeword and try again later.