Book: Polynesian Navigation and the Discovery of New Zealand

Polynesian Navigation and the Discovery of New Zealand
by Jeff Evans
Libro International, 2011, soft cover, 128pp

Polynesian Navigation and the Discovery of New Zealand offers a straightforward account of how and why Polynesian seafarers made their journey south to New Zealand shores.

The first part of the book discusses the origins of the voyages, legends of the homeland and the explorer Kupe, traditional Polynesian navigation techniques, and the preservation of seafaring knowledge by Maori.

The second part presents a gripping account of the canoe Hawaiki-nui retracing the route from Tahiti to New Zealand in 1985, using traditional voyaging methods.

Richly illustrated with photos, maps and drawings, this book is an essential guide to one of the world's great stories of discovery.

When you think about it, the Polynesians only had quite simple canoes to traverse the ocean, whereas the Spanish, French and English explorers had relatively sophisticated ships and navigational equipment. So this book is a fantastic read of how it is possible to navigate the sea without fancy equipment, and how advanced the Polynesians were in that respect.