Tamaki Maori Village - Rotorua, New Zealand
Experience the warmth of our people during an evening of ceremonial rituals, powerful cultural performance, storytelling and hangi feasting!
Your evening begins with pick up from your Rotorua accommodation. En route to Tamaki Maori Village, nestled in the thick of an ancient Tawa forest, your guide will instruct you on the rules of entering the Village and the protocol you must observe. Select a Chief to represent those on your coach. Representation of your group is considered an honourable task in Maoridom.
Traditional: Share in the powhiri, our ancient ceremony of welcome, before you are invited into our Pre-European Maori Village nestled within the 200 year old native Tawa Forest.
Educational: Enter our living village, as it comes alive with the sights, sounds and activity of days gone by, including facial tattooing, weaving, carving and demonstrations on how our food was cooked and preserved many years ago. See, touch, take time and talk to our people as you wander through our village – you may even be invited to take part in stick games and warrior training!
Interactive: Witness the earth being carefully scraped away from the hangi pit by your selected Chiefs to reveal baskets laden with your sumptuous, mouth watering feast, which has been cooked beneath the ground on hot stones.
Entertaining: At the heart of the village, enter our ancestral meeting house, and relax as our family entertain you with a powerful cultural performance, including action songs, poi, stick games and the world famous ‘haka’ – Maori War Dance.
Feasting: The sharing of food is an important part of Maori Custom – so we now invite you to join us for the traditional hangi buffet feast, followed by our New Zealand dessert. The evening draws to an end with the poroporoaki – the official closing ceremony. There will be songs (waiata) and speeches (whaikorero), before you enjoy a safe and fun transfer back to your accommodation with your Tamaki Drivers and Guides.
