Kupe
The great Polynesian navigator and chief who discovered Aotearoa (New Zealand) according to Maori tradition. Kupe sailed from Hawaiki in his canoe Matahourua, pursuing the giant octopus Te Wheke-a-Muturangi which had been stealing his bait. His wife Hine-te-Aparangi was the first to sight land, calling out 'He ao, he ao!' (A cloud, a cloud!) - giving the name Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud). Kupe explored the coastline of New Zealand extensively, naming many landmarks. He returned to Hawaiki with detailed navigational knowledge, providing the first sea charts that guided the later grea