Kupe Sites - Landmarks of a great voyager / Nga tapūwae o Kupe

Open 12 December 2025 - 13 February 2026

A touring exhibition from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Kupe Sites explores the landscapes, stories and enduring legacy of Kupe through a stunning photographic journey. From Northland to Te Waipounamu, discover the places that keep Kupe’s voyage alive.

Exhibition Background

Kupe is regarded by many iwi as the tupuna or ancestor who discovered this country. Some tell the story of Kupe setting out from his homeland Hawaiki in pursuit of Te Wheke-a-Muturangi, a giant octopus. Others recount how Kupe, in love with his nephew’s wife, took her husband fishing, left him out at sea to drown, then fled from the family’s vengeance.
‍
This new exhibition celebrates a great Polynesian voyager’s connections with Aotearoa New Zealand. Ngā tapuwae presents these stories through photographs of places from four areas that have strong traditions of links to Kupe–Northland, Wairarapa, the Wellington region, and the top of the South Island. Award-winning photographer Michael Hall and Te Papa researchers visited four areas and collaborated with iwi there to capture these powerful images.

Image credit: Te Puna-i-te-ao-marama, Northland. Michael Hall