Bay of Islands Travel Guide - New Zealand

History of the Bay of Islands - New Zealand

An Introduction

New Zealand was first discovered about 1000 years ago by the great Polynesian navigator Kupe who sailed here from his homeland Hawaiki. He named the islands Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud. Kupe returned to Hawaiki and left instruction on how to get here.

About 400 years later Maori arrived back in Aotearoa with seven great canoes and began to populate the North Island.

The Dutchman Abel Tasman landed in 1642, charted part of the coastline and named it Staten land, believing it was part of the Australian continent. When his mistake was discovered the country was renamed Nieuw Zeeland.

In 1769 James Cook came to New Zealand, extensively charted both North and South Island and gave the Bay of Islands its present name.

Other history pages: Maori, Kerikeri, Opua, Paihia and Russell

See also:
Ipipiri - a historic map.