Out of Christchurch, then via Melbourne, the southeast of France, the east and west coasts of Australia, and now a man of the South.
Tatupu (23) is one of the new faces in the Otago side this year and has impressed in his two appearances in the Otago midfield in the side's two warm-up games.
It has been a long road to the land of the blue and gold for the Samoan.
Tatupu was born and bred in Christchurch, attending Lincoln High School, and played rugby league for the Hornby club and the odd rugby game for the West Melton club as a youngster.
At high school he was good enough to be picked in a national league side which journeyed to Australia and that is when his sporting odyssey started.
He was spotted by a Melbourne Storm scout and joined the club, playing for the Storm's feeder club, Brisbane Norths, leaving his home to cross the Tasman aged just 16.
He went to Wavell State High School, a breeding ground for rugby league players, and was joined by fellow New Zealander Adam Blair, now a Kiwis regular, while Kangaroos centre Greg Inglis was also at the school.
He also played with Otago winger Ryan Shortland, who was part of the Storm system.
But after three years in the Storm organisation, including an appearance for the Samoan league side, and unable to make first grade, Tatupu decided to seek new pastures.
"It was really tough to leave but there were so many good players there and it was hard to crack it.
"My manager had an offer from France so I decided to go with that," he said.
"And it was a lot of fun. The league was pretty easy and you were right on the beach with a great lifestyle.
"That was awesome but it was too easy in a way.
"There was no challenge and I knew I could go back there any time but there were too many things back in Australia to do."
So Tatupu - barely out of his teenage years - left the small French town of Canet, and went back to Brisbane, with the aim of getting into the Reds rugby academy.
He rang Phil Mooney, then the Reds coach and now the Otago coach, and was told to go and play for the Wests club side.
But before he went to his first training, the Force got in touch to ask him to fill a berth because of an injury to centre Junior Pelesasa.
So off to Perth it was for the next three years. His career was up and down at the Force.
He found coach John Mitchell "intense".
Tatupu only made two appearances this year, and he was not sure why he saw so little action.
He was playing club rugby in Sydney and was eyeing up a French rugby contract when Mooney got in touch to ask if he was interested in heading to Dunedin.
"I didn't have a lot of time. I was almost on the verge of signing to go to France so the Otago deal had to be sorted pretty quickly.
"I want to be as good as I can for Otago.
I've been to a fair few places but that is just the way it's worked out."
Tatupu, one of many players who has played both rugby codes, said the games had a lot of difference, with pre-season much harder in league and more technicalities in union.
