Connections Made with Past and Present

An American man’s exploration of his Maori roots is the subject of a documentary for US TV’s Travel Channel. Richard Wybrow, a CNN Radio editor, had always wanted to travel to his father’s birthplace in NZ. The 37-year-old is descended from the Ngai Tahu tribe: his great-great grandfather James Wybrow was a whaler who married a Ngai Tahu chief’s daughter. Wybrow won an essay competition set by the Travel Channel and the result was a segment on the series Trip of a Lifetime. Along with wife Amy and daughter Chyanna, Wybrow was flown to NZ all expenses paid. The family stayed at the luxury lodge Kauri Cliffs, swam with dolphins, bungee jumped and – most importantly – met their remaining relatives in Auckland. “Richard traced his ancestry back 900 years,” said Amy. “It helped us connect with who the Maoris were and who he is.”