When 23-year-old Nikau Dix set out for a walk along a remote stretch of beach on the Chatham Islands in August 2024, he wasn’t expecting to stumble upon one of the most significant archaeological finds in the Pacific. But an odd-looking stick protruding from the sand caught his eye. Ali Pugh reports from Rēkohu.
“I came back to investigate the origins of the stick. That's when I found the figurehead that washed down the creek. That’s how I knew it was special. It was obviously special.”
In part two, 1News' Ali Pugh reports on delays preventing full excavation of the ancient waka discovered 18 months ago. (Source: 1News)
What followed was a cascade of discoveries.
“It was a large pile of them, they just kept falling out of the creek,” he said.
His find triggered a partial archaeological excavation that ran for a week, ultimately uncovering between 600 and 700 pieces before the site was covered over. It’s estimated that only around 10% of the waka itself has been taken out of the ground.
Today, the artefacts are being stored in water-filled containers near the site, where conservators are working to stabilise and study them.
Archaeologist Justin Maxwell said the discovery was “utterly extraordinary".
“We knew from the first few weeks that it was, but as it progressed, it was more and more exciting and terrifying," he said.
"We found parts of the cordage, the ropes, the twine, the sails, the matting.
"If you had a wish-list of what you’d want to find on a waka, we ticked off all the boxes.”
An interim radiocarbon dating report from November puts the waka’s arrival on the Chatham Islands from between 1440 AD and 1470 AD, noting that the samples taken were from short-lived materials and that the waka itself may be considerably older.
'One of the most important finds in the Pacific'
“That places it in a period of time that’s important, when people were moving freely throughout the Pacific,” Maxwell said.
“Without any exaggeration, this is one of the most important finds in the Pacific. There’s so much here, and the preservation is extraordinary.
"It dates to the heyday of Pacific voyaging.”
Principal conservator Sara Gainsford has been tasked with caring for the collection. For her, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a project of this magnitude.
“It is so unique," she said.
"Nowhere in the world have we found so many parts of waka from this time.”
Some pieces reveal obsidian inlays, shell decorations, and a distinctive checkered carving pattern.
Other fragments still have braided fibres, preserved thanks to the near-perfect conditions beneath the dunes: low oxygen, constant moisture, and natural protection from the elements.
“This moment in time has been preserved,” she said.
With Gainsford often off-island, she has trained local volunteers to monitor water quality and humidity levels to ensure the artefacts remain stable.
Volunteer Kate Preece is one of a small group who’ve been trained up to help, and said she was “blown away” to be entrusted with such important work.
“We’re doing this mahi for the community and our children. And just waiting to see what this waka tells us.”
Questions of provenance and ownership
While the Crown is currently the temporary custodian of the taonga, only a small fraction of the waka has been excavated.
It’s a point of growing frustration for some on the island.
The remainder lies buried beneath metres of sand and sandbags to protect the sand from being washed away.
For many on the island, the delay in recovering the rest of the vessel is becoming increasingly difficult to accept.
“That’s one thing the whole island is agreed on - it needs to come out of the ground,” said Maui Solomon, barrister and former chairperson of the Moriori Imi Settlement Trust.
“It should be out of the ground by now. There’s so much bureaucratic red tape to wade through. This is the most important find in New Zealand’s archaeological history.
"We should have an archaeological team on site now.”
In May, a report prepared for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage also underscored the urgency of recovering the remainder of the vessel.
“We are only one major storm event away from losing it, and we pray that doesn’t happen,” said Solomon.
The Moriori Imi Settlement Trust and the Hokotehi Moriori Trust have lodged a joint claim of ownership, believing the vessel may be the rangihoua - a sea-going waka long referenced in Moriori writings and oral histories.
Lanauze said the dates from the report didn’t surprise him one bit.
“In our traditional recordings, we’ve always known about the Rangihoua that brought our people to the island,”
He said its discovery was a special moment for many.
“The waka revealing itself is like a tohu from the old people.”
Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, the island’s iwi, are also invested in the waka’s origins and keen to know what it may reveal about their own history.
The chairperson of the trust, Monique Croon, said it’s intriguing, and the iwi’s position is “registration of interest”.
Ownership would be determined once the full excavation is complete.
“We want to know the story of this waka. It could change our history and how our migration occurred. We have our own narratives around the seven migratory waka and when we first came here. So, from here it’s about allowing the waka to tell its story."
The question of ownership was now before the Māori Land Court.
In the meantime, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage is working with all stakeholders, including imi and iwi, on “their future aspirations for the waka”.
There is still no confirmed date for the next stage of excavation, nor any decisions about who will fund the extensive work ahead.
Lanauze said the delays can be frustrating.
“But you’ve got to go through the process. You can’t go stepping on people’s toes. No court case is a done deal, but you know you’ve got to work through the courts, and take your turn. That’s what we are waiting for now. The dates that’ve been released are helpful, but the next report is the one that’ll tell the real story.”
The final radiocarbon dating report is due in early 2026.
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