“In 1978, I shifted back to live in Ohakune and I took a stronger interest. I met with some of my cousins in the 1980s – Matiu Mareikura, Mark Cribb, Ruka Broughton and, from time to time, John Tahuparae.
“We went to Wellington to view it and asked if we could have the object returned either to Pipiriki or to the Whanganui museum.”
However, a decision was made to move it to the newly established national museum Te Papa in the 1990s. Despite this, efforts to bring the taonga home continued, Robinson said.
The waka maumaharatanga was originally situated about 300m from the water’s edge at the entranceway to Te Kōanga o Rehua on the western bank of the Whanganui River, opposite the current Pipiriki settlement.