How did New Zealand get discovered?

New Zealand was first discovered by Polynesian navigators, who are believed to have arrived in canoes from other Pacific islands around the 13th century, establishing the Māori culture. European exploration began with Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who sighted the islands in 1642 but did not land. It wasn't until British explorer Captain James Cook's voyages in the late 18th century that New Zealand was extensively mapped and claimed for Britain. Cook's expeditions laid the groundwork for later colonization and settlement by Europeans.