Voyage to Aotearoa

Voyage to Aotearoa: Tupaia and the Endeavour

From September 2019 - December 2020, Auckland Museum hosted a Pacific adventure across the Society Islands, where visitors could experience life as a sailor, and chart the coastline of Aotearoa. Here, you can explore elements of the exhibition online.

Tahiti

In Tahiti, visitors will be introduced to Tupaia the Arioi (high priest), experience what everyday life was like in Tahiti in 1768 and learn about the Endeavour’s time in there with Tupaia.

Interactives bring Tupaia’s paintings to life with movement and song; allow visitors to navigate their va’a in the Society Islands; and watch the Endeavour’s route unfold around Aotearoa.

The Endeavour

Moving through the exhibition, visitors can experience the mess hall of the Endeavour, see how sailors ate and slept on the ship and even jump in a hammock and try on clothes of the time. A series of dioramas give a glimpse into life on the ship, and Banks’ quarters shows the Endeavour as a research vessel, with a selection of original plant specimens collected in Aotearoa in 1769-70 on display.

Aotearoa

Finally, arriving in Aotearoa, watch the Endeavour’s route unfold around the coastline. Learn about the first onshore meetings between Māori and British, Tupaia’s relationships with Māori, and his role as cultural broker.

Your Museum

Voyage to Aotearoa