The International Union for Conservation of Nature World Parks Congress, which is held once every ten years, is now underway in Sydney, Australia.
On Wednesday, a fleet of vaka voyaging canoes arrived in Sydney harbour having navigated by the stars from the Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand to mark the opening of the World Parks Congress.
Pacific Island leaders from Kiribati, Cook Islands and Palau were on board for the final part of the journey.
Over four thousand participants from around the world are in Australia for the gathering.
The Congress hopes to raise awareness of the importance of national parks, marine reserves, wildlife conservation, climate change and the green economy.
