Two double hulled voyaging waka, one skippered by a Tauranga navigator, on a journey to Easter Island have made the first landfall of the 10,000 nautical mile voyage.

Five weeks after setting out from Auckland on August 17 the waka Te Aurere and Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti, with five Tauranga crew on aboard, have arrived at Tubai in the Austral group after a voyage of 2200 nautical miles.

Electronic mapping showing the historic wakas' course to Tubai.

The 20 people on board both waka are reported safe and well by Waka Tapu organiser and New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute director Karl Johnstone.

The crew members were happy to be back on land but no-one wants to get off, 'so that's a pretty good indication of their mood”, says Karl.

The crew's arrival in Tubuai late last week was celebrated by the local community, cultural groups and representatives from throughout French Polynesia.

"Their generosity and support for our crew and for the kaupapa has been humbling; it's rewarding to see how initiatives like Waka Tapu galvanise communities and bring geographically distant relations together to celebrate our shared heritage,” says Karl.

'Everyone is in good health and has been enjoying the experience. The fishing has been excellent – lots of albacore tuna caught – and they've managed to celebrate four birthdays on board with a birthday cake and fresh fruit or hangi each time.”

The two waka have five Tauranga based crew onboard including Ngahiraka skipper Jack Thatcher along with senior crew Kiharoa Nuku, and Mahara Nicholas and new crew members Ani Black and Cushla Allen.

Two Tauranga crew - Tamahau Tangitu and Kuka Tukaokao - will also join the waka for the return voyage.

The waka are on a 10,000 nautical mile return journey to Rapanui without GPS or modern navigational tools in a bid to retrace and revitalise the steps of their ancestors.

The crew is using the stars, moon, sun, ocean currents, birds and marine life to map their way on their adventure, which will also close the final corner of the Polynesian Triangle defined by Hawaii in the North, New Zealand in the South and Rapanui in the East.

'As predicted by our captains and navigators, the weather conditions have been very challenging. There has often been little or no wind available to help push them east but then they've also encountered heavy seas and extremely cold conditions, resulting in broken equipment and items such as coffee mugs and spoons being lost overboard,” says Karl.

Pods of humpback whales and grey nurse sharks were seen while at sea, and the two waka did come within ten miles of the 189m container ship Acquilla. But aside from that it has been a solitary journey.

The crews will rest for a few days before setting sail for Mangareva in French Polynesia, a voyage that is expected to take about two weeks depending on the weather.

The waka are due to reach Rapanui in late October or November, and the public can track progress over the coming weeks by visiting the Waka Tapu website www.wakatapu.com.