Kupe, the explorer, made the journey from Hawaiki to Aotearoa.

Harakeke have been studying a legend told around this journey through retelling, illustrations and drama. Writing has focused on retelling and how to sequence events in a story. We enjoyed sharing our writing with each other.

Here is some of the writing...

Kupe said to the sad villagers, “I will see what is breaking our nets.”

Kupe set sail.

Kupe saw bubbling water. He got his taiaha and he plunged the taiaha in the water and he hit something hard.

Kupe chased te wheke and he saw land.

He threw his water bottles and he said Oh, no, I’ve fallen in and he cut te wheke in half.

He went to the land and he said,

“ I will bring my villagers here.”

Retold by Isobelle

The villagers were sitting on the rocks. The villagers’ nets were broken.

“I will go and find out who is breaking our nets,” said Kupe.

Kupe saw the water bubbling. It was the giant octopus.

“Is it you who is breaking our nets?” asked Kupe.

“The fish are mine. The sea is my home,” said the octopus.

The wheke swam away. Kupe followed.

“Oh no, I’ve fallen in!”

Kupe tricked the wheke. He threw his water bottles in.

Smack. Kupe hit the wheke. Kupe saw land.

“I’ll bring my people here.” By Daniel

The villagers are sad because they have no fish. Kupe says,

“I will go find what is breaking the nets.”

Kupe saw bubbly water. Kupe got his taiaha and he stabbed it into the water. He hit something hard.

Kupe saw a giant octopus. Kupe said, “Is it you who is breaking our nets?”

“The sea is my home and the fish are mine,” said the octopus.

Kupe threw all of the drink bottles into the water. Te wheke thought that Kupe had fallen in.

“Oh, no!” said Kupe.

Kupe got his taiaha and he cut te wheke in half.

Retold by Amelia R