Tanya Robson, General Manager of Whakarewarewa, The Living Maori Village in Rotorua.
Tanya Robson
Whakarewarewa (Rotorua), December 16, 2022
One of New Zealand’s most iconic destinations, Whakarewarewa offers an unforgettable daytime cultural and geothermal experience for all ages.
Whakarewarewa is the legacy and home of the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, who have been sharing their unique way of life with visitors from all around the world for over two hundred years.
Experience the warmth of our Legacy Guided tours through New Zealand’s iconic living Maori village. Our Village guides are direct descendants of the early Maori guides whose legacy shaped tourism in New Zealand for generations.
We can trace their ancestry back to the Te Arawa people who first occupied the valley in 1325 and generations of guides have been pioneering leaders of tourism in New Zealand.
Since the early 1800s, they have been hosting and welcoming guests into their homes and backyards, sharing insights into Maori culture, as well as demonstrating the utilisation of the natural geothermal wonders for cooking, bathing and heating. The use of the natural geothermal landscape of the valley continues to delight and fascinate tourists visiting Whakarewarewa today.
The Living Maori Village symbolises Maori hospitality and legacy (Sourced Photo)
Our purpose
Rangatira for Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao.
We wish to be leaders for the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people by preserving our culture and honouring the legacy of the generations that have come before. The people of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao have developed and led the tourism industry in Rotorua and New Zealand for generations. It is our goal to continue the legacy and to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors. We hope to uphold this legacy by honouring the traditions of our people, which include the following principles (a) Kaitiakitanga: Protector and Guardian of resources (b) Manaakitanga: Hospitality Excellence (c) Matauranga Maori: Preservation and sharing of our history and knowledge and (d) Taonga Tuku Iho: Custodians of our treasured heritage.
As tourism developed in the area, guiding became a formalised profession for local Maori guides. Several Maori guides became international personalities in their own right, guiding international visitors through geothermal attractions with humour, and charm and navigating deftly between English and Maori languages and culture.
Today, a guiding tradition that began over 200 years ago remains strong thanks to the excellent work of guides (both past and present) of Whakarewarewa, The Living Maori Village.
The Living Maori Village
Their insights, knowledge, and legendary hospitality (Manaakitanga) add depth and richness to the experience at Whakarewarewa – The Living Maori Village.
Combining Maori culture with geothermal treasures, discover an enviable way of life where locals utilise the earth’s forces for warmth, cooking and bathing. Learn Maori history, the origins of the village and how it adapted after a devastating volcanic eruption. Enjoy the sweet sound of a Maori cultural performance, which includes the world-famous haka. View the geothermal wonders of Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley including the world-famous Pohutu geyser, boiling mud pools, steam vents and bubbling pools. Learn what it is like to live in the challenging geothermal plateau where daily life includes cooking in the bubbling pools and steam vents, and bathing in the refreshing therapeutic waters.
Whakarewarewa is in a geothermal valley, just minutes away from central Rotorua. Experience an authentic cultural encounter that is rich in traditions passed on from generation to generation, set in a landscape where your senses will come alive.
Guided tours of one hour are available daily at 10 am, 12 pm and 2 pm.
The Memorial Archway at Whakarewarewa (Sourced Photo)
Maori Cultural Performances at 11. 15 am and 12.30 pm daily, with additional performance for Cruise Ship visitors on the days that they dock at the Port of Tauranga.
The Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao village people have a proud history of sharing their stories, song and dance spanning over a century. Please enquire ahead of your visit to see if there is availability to experience this memorable and entertaining Cultural Show experience.
Whaka Geothermal Trails
Rotorua’s Newest Geothermal Walking Trails experience is our new geothermal nature trails which provide exclusive access to an untouched geothermal landscape. Here, visitors can experience the raw nature of Papatuanuku (mother earth).
The Jurassic Park-like landscape is described as providing regenerative powers as you find yourself face-to-face with Nature, Hot Spring Lakes, Mud Pools, Geysers and native manuka bushlands.
The trails are self-guided walks ranging between 30 and 60 minutes and are suitable for people with a low level of fitness. These trails combine views of native ferns, edible plants, and glimpses of our unique geothermal landscape, including colourful steaming lakes and thermal pools that you can only view at Whakarewarewa. You will definitely find a most memorable photo-snap opportunity for your Facebook and Instagram profile! The Whaka Geothermal Trails will be an ongoing reserve development as we open new areas to be discovered.
Guardianship (Kaitiakitanga)
Kaitiakitanga means guardianship, protection or preservation. Maori believe that there is a deep relationship between people and the natural world. Customary Maori practices maintain the balance between nature and our people, ensuring that resources are managed sustainably, minimising any impact on the environment.
For us here at Whakarewarewa – The Living Maori Village, we recognise that we all, residents and visitors alike, have a responsibility to be kaitiaki (guardian) of our surroundings. For us, this means acting responsibly and looking after our natural resources and practising sustainable initiatives and this extends to our endeavours to preserve our culture, including how we use traditional practices in the modern world.
The Memorial Archway at Whakarewarewa (Sourced Photo)
It is our hope that the practice of Kaitiakitanga will allow Maori and non-Maori alike to reflect on the notion of kinship with nature, and how this idea might be useful in an environmentally threatened world.
When you visit our home here at Whakarewarewa – The Living Maori Village you will get a first-hand insight into Kaitiakitanga. On our guided tour, you will hear the passion with which our guides speak about their home, their environment, their culture and history.
You will learn how Whakarewarewa’s residents, the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, utilise Mother Nature’s precious resources to cook, clean and bathe and how, in doing so, we, minimise our impact on the environment.
At a more practical business level, we try to actively reduce any adverse effects on our environment and community, both here in New Zealand, and globally, through buying wisely, using resources efficiently, disposing of waste responsibly, and providing an environmentally and socially responsible experience to our visitors.
We are always looking for ways to reduce any adverse effects on our environment and contribute positively to our community, so we welcome your comments and any suggestion you may have on ways we can help reduce our impact on the environment.
For us, we feel privileged that, by opening our home, we can share our unique, abundant and beautiful environment with our visitors. For us, it’s paramount that we preserve the natural beauty of our home in order that our future generations may enjoy it as we do today.
We invite you to come and enjoy what we have to share.
Tanya Robson is the General Manager of Whakarewarewa, The Living Maori Village in Rotorua.
We are grateful to Vishal Sharma, Marketing Facilitator at Whakarewarewa, for arranging our visit to the Village, providing us with useful information and helping to source the photographs. Another article written by him appears in this issue.
