Te Au o Tonga ("the mist of the South")[1] is a reconstruction of avaka moana, a double-hulledPolynesian voyaging canoe. It was built in 1994 by former Cook Islands Prime MinisterThomas Davis and theCook Islands Voyaging Society.[2] It was used to teachpolynesian navigation.
Thevaka is made of laminated wood, 72 feet long, with a displacement of 10 to 12 tons, and a crew of 18.[1] It has inspired other designs,[3] being used by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea as a model for a group of fibreglass-hulled replicas, includingMarumaru Atua,[4] and later by the Te Aurere Voyaging Society inNew Zealand as a model for their kauri-hulledTe Aurere.[5] It has also featured in the filmThe Legend of Johnny Lingo.[4]
Since 2002 thevaka has been based inAitutaki.[4] In 2012 it completed a refit, with repairs to the hull and crossbeams.[3] In 2014 it completed a further refit, which replaced the hull, decks, and spars.[6] It is currently used for training and tourism trips in the Aitutaki lagoon.[6]
