Episode
The First New Zealanders
- Podcast
- The Ancients
- Published
- Jul 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3391
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
What if the first New Zealanders crossed an ocean, landed in a brand-new world, and built a whole society in just a few generations? Tristan Hughes and Dr Richard Walter tell the story of East Polynesian voyagers who reached Aotearoa around the late 1200s, bringing canoes, knowledge, and ambition from Hawaiki to a vast, forested island world. From the moa-rich site of Wairau Bar to archeological evidence of exquisite stone tools, ornaments, and fishhooks, Tristan and Richard discuss how these settlers adapted fast, explored far, and laid the foundations for Māori life in New Zealand. MORE The First Hawaiians Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Ancient Polynesia: Pioneers of the Pacific Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify We're going on * TOUR* to Australia and New Zealand! - final tickets are available here . The Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch here: @TheAncientsPodcast Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Arstall. Produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early ad-free podcasts and exclusive subscriber-only episodes every fortnight. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.