Kupe Discovering Aotearoa
Kupe, a great Polynesian navigator and chief from Hawaiki, pursued the giant octopus Te Wheke-a-Muturangi across the Pacific Ocean after it stole his bait and caused chaos. His wife Hine-te-Aparangi sighted land and named it Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud). Kupe and his crew landed at the Hokianga Harbour, where he battled and killed the giant octopus. He explored the coastline, named many landmarks, and returned to Hawaiki with tales of the new land, providing the first detailed navigational knowledge that later guided the great migration of Maori to New Zealand.