Adaptation and change are pertinent themes in the history of South Polynesia, a history defined by its short time frame and a significant amount of change. The South Polynesian islands were empty of human habitation and required innovative approaches for the new inhabitants to survive. A limited number of traditions relating to the initial arrival and settlement period exist, compared with traditions of the voyaging period. Part of the reason for this absence is due to one of the purposes of oral tradition, which was intended to recount and retain the information that was necessary to explain the present and how things came to be, not to retain details about day-to-day activities. In this section, the impact of human habitation on South Polynesia will be explored. Adaptation was not a quick process, and full understanding of new environments would have taken generations. When comparisons are made between South Polynesia and other regions, recognition that Polynesians were in completely new environments of which they had limited knowledge is often lacking. Due emphasis will be placed on this crucial factor, which defined the nature of South Polynesian history, and the adaptive skills of the early Indigenous settlers will be highlighted. Perhaps the greatest adaptation to the South Polynesian environment was in terms of subsistence; when people first arrived, they had to rethink everything they knew about food gathering and cultivation to adapt to their new environments.

New Environments

One of the greatest challenges upon arrival in South Polynesia was the temperate climate. The climatic conditions required extraordinary adaptation from the settlers, who had come from tropical zones, and this drove much of the change that occurred upon initial settlement. Climate determined many aspects of life in South Polynesia, from clothing to technology and shelter. Notably, the climate also required significant adaptation in terms of food and this will be discussed in the following section on subsistence.

Aotearoa New Zealand is a completely temperate landmass in contrast to the rest of Polynesia, which is tropical or subtropical; Rēkohu off the east coast of the South Island has a similar climate. Within Aotearoa New Zealand itself there is significant regional variation in climate: it is much warmer in the North Island, particularly the northernmost part, than in the South. The case of Rapa Nui provides an interesting point of comparison, as it has a subtropical climate.