How reading the stars, moon, sun, other planets, as well as ocean swells, wind direction and other weather, helps us navigate and promotes water safety.
It was only 3200 years ago that people began heading eastwards from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands further into the Pacific.
Science Learning Hub
At night, wayfinders use the stars to find their compass points. In this activity, students learn the cardinal points of the compass. They also learn how to use the Sun and star constellations – the Southern Cross and the Pointers – to identify the cardinal compass points.
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Wayfinding is about all of the ways in which people and animals orient themselves in physical space and navigate from place to place.
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Polynesians navigated their ocean voyages without instruments. Instead, clues about position, direction, and distance came from the stars, sun, and moon; from patterns in the ocean, including currents, ocean swells, and localized wave characteristics; from clouds, the wind, and even from wildlife. Navigators also kept a mental log of their progress, always maintaining a sense of the distance covered and the present location.