22 Nov 2010

O Tahiti Nui Freedom canoe completes voyage to Shanghai

2:37 pm on 22 November 2010

The outrigger canoe O Tahiti Nui Freedom has arrived in Shanghai - 114 days after leaving French Polynesia.

The voyage retracing the ancient Polynesians' travels was originally planned to finish before the end of the Shanghai World Expo.

But the six travellers, led by Hiria Ottino, were delayed in their voyage of more than 15,000 kilometres in their 15-metre vessel.

Mr Ottino has told the Nouvelles de Tahiti newspaper making the trip was a 20 year old dream.

In China, they were met by the speaker of the French Polynesian assembly, Oscar Temaru.