The story of Tokomaru is one of determination, leadership, and new beginnings. It is remembered as one of the great voyaging vaka that carried ancestors from Hawaiki to Aotearoa, and whose descendants would later become some of the principal iwi of the Taranaki region.

According to oral traditions, Tokomaru departed Hawaiki during a period of conflict and unrest. Its captain, Manaia, became involved in a bitter dispute after his wife was dishonoured. Seeking utu, Manaia took action against those responsible, including a chief named Tupenu. Fearing further retaliation and wishing to secure a new future for his people, Manaia gathered his followers and set sail across the Pacific in search of a new homeland.

Traditions record that Tokomaru first made landfall at Whangaparaoa on the east coast of Te Ika a Maui. From there, accounts differ. Some say the vaka continued around Te Rerenga Wairua at the northern tip of the island before travelling down the west coast. Others maintain that Tokomaru was carried across the narrow Tamaki isthmus before resuming its voyage south.

Whatever route was taken, Tokomaru eventually reached the western coastline of Aotearoa and the fertile lands surrounding Taranaki Maunga. There, its people established communities and laid the foundations for future generations.

Today, Tokomaru is recognised as one of the principal ancestral vaka of Taranaki. Its descendants include iwi such as Te Ati Awa, Ngati Mutunga, and Ngati Tama, whose histories, traditions, and whakapapa continue to preserve the memory of the voyage.

More than a story of migration, Tokomaru represents courage in the face of adversity and the enduring Polynesian tradition of exploration and settlement. Through the descendants of its voyagers, the legacy of Tokomaru continues to live on, linking present generations with the journeys and decisions of their ancestors.