The last of the great waka in this series is Mataatua. Although Mataatua carried people who would go on to establish many important tribal groups in Aotearoa, tradition holds that its principal purpose was to transport kumara seedlings to a land where the staple crop was not found.

According to oral histories, the explorers Hoaki and his brother Taukata travelled to Aotearoa in search of their sister, Pourangahua. During their travels, they encountered the tohunga Tama-ki-Hikurangi at Kakahoroa, now Whakatane, in the eastern Bay of Plenty. There, they learned that kumara did not grow in the new land, and a plan was made to return to Hawaiki to obtain seedlings for the settlements already established in Aotearoa. At the same time, word was carried back that this new homeland was sparsely populated and offered opportunities for further migration.

The return journey to Hawaiki was made aboard the waka Te Aratawhao. Once the kumara had been gathered, it was decided that the voyage back to Aotearoa would be undertaken in a newly built waka named Mataatua.

Tradition says the waka had been commissioned by the chief Irakewa, who is believed to have previously visited Kakahoroa and knew the district well. Members of his family formed the core of the crew, including his sons Toroa, Puhi, and Taneatua, together with his daughter Muriwai and their families. Their names survive today in many places and tribal traditions throughout Aotearoa.

Toroa commanded Mataatua on its voyage, while Tama-ki-Hikurangi and Taneatua served as tohunga. The waka eventually made landfall at Kakahoroa. According to tradition, while the men were ashore, the waka began drifting away. One of the women pulled it back to safety while chanting, “Kia whakatane au i ahau” — “Let me act the part of a man.” In commemoration of the event, Kakahoroa became known as Whakatane. Different traditions attribute the deed to either Toroa's daughter Wairaka or his sister Muriwai.

Although the transport of kumara was Mataatua's primary purpose, the descendants of those aboard went on to establish many important iwi, including Ngapuhi, Ngai Te Rangi, Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Awa, Ngati Pukenga, Te Whakatohea, and Te Whanau-a-Apanui. Their descendants are spread across much of the Northland peninsula and throughout the eastern Bay of Plenty, leaving a legacy that continues to shape Aotearoa today.