Kupe, a mid-10th century seafarer from Polynesia, is often credited with discovering New Zealand. Almost all of what is known about Kupe has survived through the legends of the Maori. According to one legend, Kupe was a fisherman and seafarer who lived on the central Pacific island of Hawaiki, the traditional homeland of the Polynesian people. While fishing, Kupe became more and more enraged at squid that stole his bait, so one day he set out to kill the squid king.

With his crew, Kupe sailed a catamaran-like vessel in pursuit of the squid king, chasing it westward across some 2000 miles of the Pacific. He came upon a mist-shrouded land of high mountains, consisting of two large islands (now called North Island and South Island). In the strait between the islands (now called Cook Strait) he is said to have caught up with the squid king, and killed it.

Kupe reported his discovery upon his return to Hawaiki and his sailing directions to the islands were handed down, generation to generation. Within a few centuries Polynesian islanders began to migrate there, and in 1642 Dutch navigator Abel Tasman came upon the islands and named them New Zealand.