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New Zealand History
Origins & Arrival
New Zealand History - Origins
Around 50,000 years ago someone thought it would be a good idea to set out in a boat from Asia, perhaps near China, and head South East. 40,000 years later still paddling this sailor had reached the New Guinea area. Having a break and taking on water and food he then set out and arrived in Tonga about 7,000 years later. This is the migration historians believe took place across Micronesia, Melanesia into Polynesia.
Moving into recent history we know that Hawaii was settled around 700AD and about 300 years later Polynesians arrived in New Zealand. Although back then it was just a beach with no name and we’re sure they would have been grateful to just pitch their canoe up on the sands and think about names later.
New Zealand History - ArrivalThe Maori trace their ancestors back to the homelands of Hawaiki and the great navigator of Polynesian lore Kupe. If anyone was the sailor in the canoe on the final leg of the pacific island discovery it was Kupe. Singularly brave and extraordinarily heroic, considering the challenge he faced, he sought land for his people and found it here in New Zealand. He left his crew to settle in on this country he named Aotearoa Land of The Long White Cloud.
Returning to Hawaiki he encouraged further trips. These arrivals in their great seafaring double-hulled canoes formed what we know today as the Iwi.
The islands discovery and settled occupation came about roughly in the Thirteenth Century. Experts believe that New Zealand was only truly settled once. Any further occupation was from this root settlement as born out by the explorer Kapu. Whatever is said it’s accepted that the first settlers had the same Polynesian beginnings.
It is an important New Zealand fact for a visitor to understand that whilst the indigenous people are the Maori, The Pacific belt of islands holds Polynesians of all cultural distinctions and these too are found in New Zealand. In fact the greatest number of Polynesianswithin the Pacific rim reside in New Zealand.
The next arrivals were the Europeans and here we are only a few hundred years later. This recent history is well recorded and documented making New Zealand facts,
New Zealand culture
and New Zealand history fascinating and gripping to read about.
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