A large part of a waka, possibly dating back to the 16th century, has been found by a man swimming in the Waiari Stream at Te Puke.

“We’ve always known that waka were in that area,” Māori cultural heritage manager at Tauranga City Council, Dean Flavell, said as he admired the waka, pulled from the banks of the Waiari last week.

“I estimate that it is from around 1500s to 1600s,” he said.

Māori cultural heritage manager at Tauranga City Council, Dean Flavell believes the waka was made from rimu, due to the red colour of the wood.

Flavell believes the historic waka is made of either rimu or kahikatia, “but my gut feeling is it’s rimu”.

The piece is about 1.5m-long, and the waka could have been anywhere from 5 to 6m, Flavell said.

Robert Miles-Kingston from Te Puke discovered the waka while swimming in Waiari with his tamariki (children) and contacted Flavell to discuss it.

“I just said to Robert, ‘you know, thank goodness it was you who found it because some people would think it is just a piece of wood and let it drift through’.”

After his conversation with Miles-Kingston, Flavell had a karakia at the Waiari before removing the centuries-old waka.

Dean Flavell points out various holes on the waka used for the lashings. He believes that a chisel was used and dates the waka to around the 16 and 17th centuries.

“The lash holes are generally oblong; if they were circular, then I would have taken the date to the early or mid-1800s,” Flavell said.

The unique piece of history predates the founding of the township of Te Puke, a stone’s throw away from where the waka was found, Flavell said.

“It was a yet-to-be township, and then the first ancestors of the European people, who were mainly Irish, came here."

Schooners would travel up the Kaituna River to Canaan’s Landing, where Flavell’s ancestors would then paddle the settlers down to what would become the main Te Puke road.

The importance of such a taonga is not lost on Flavell, and it can shine new light on long-forgotten histories.

Termites would have eaten away at the wood, when it was still in use.

“It has the ability to tell local history, yeah, at different levels.

“This is a true taonga. It’s a gift from the old people.”

He believes that waka most likely belonged to either the Tawakeptio or the Makahae marae and had floated away and got stuck beneath the water.

The piece of waka is remarkably well-preserved for its age, and Flavell thinks the water helped preserve the wood.

The waka piece sitting safely on Dean Flavell's land, in Te Puke.

“The air and sun crack the wood. So being encapsulated in the side of the bank underwater preserved it.”

Flooding and earthworks along the Waiari likely shook the waka loose from its slumber, allowing Miles-Kingston to pull it onto the river bank, Flavell believes.

The piece of waka was found on Flavell’s ancestral land.

Dean Flavell shows sketches of the piece of waka.

Flavell now has to apply to Heritage New Zealand and obtain a z-number that will allow the waka to be tracked and protected.

“So in the future, this object can’t leave the country or has to be connected with the local people.”

The next step will be to preserve the piece of waka before it goes on display so it can remain in its excellent condition, Flavell said.

“It will be up to the marae what will happen to it after that.”