Auckland City Maori Cultural Tour - 'The Taupua Experience'

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Britomart, Level 3 130 Quay Street Waitemata Harbour, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010 New Zealand

Stop at Auckland's popular waterfront Britomart area and hear the cultural stories behind the Apihai Te Kawau Memorial.

One day fully guided small group tour where you will see all the highlights of Auckland City and sites of cultural significance to Maori with your hosts of 'The Taupua Experience', starting with a pick up from your hotel in our modern, comfortable minibus (specified hotels only).

Your hosts are direct descendants of the Maori Chiefs that helped established Tamaki Makaurau – the city of Auckland. As Ahikaa, or the home people of Auckland City, it is our role to host and care for our Manuhiri, our esteemed visitors - You!

The Taupua Experience is named after the Taupua, or the sentry bird. The Taupua takes you on a journey of cultural empowerment as you tour the sites of significance to Maori in Auckland.

You will not only see the main highlights of Auckland City, but also the main Maori sites of cultural significance. On your tour you will learn about the history of Auckland, view the city from an ancestral mountain, visit one of our traditional Maori communities and see ancient treasures.

Our guides will share with you the history of Auckland from a Maori perspective that has been passed down by their ancestors. You will visit our lands, meet our people and participate in ancient customs that are still practiced in modern life today. You will leave the tour enriched with knowledge about our Maori culture that will truly enhance your visit to Auckland.

It is our hope that you will be enriched by joining this tour, through learning about the place we call home and our Maori culture, from the past to the present, through our values of Aroha and Manaakitanga. "Ko te pai te whai rawa o Tamaki ka kitea, ka rangona, ka whakakohukitia." - The goodness and richness of Tamaki will be seen, heard and felt.

You will arrive as visitors and leave as Whanau, as part of our family.

"Nga manaakitanga" - Welcome to the place we call home.

At the end of the tour we will drop you back to your accommodation in Auckland (specified hotels only).

Sites of cultural significance visited during the tour include:

Auckland Waterfront (Apihai Te Kawau Memorial)
Paratai Drive
Okahu Bay (Papakainga)
Orakei Maori Marae & Village (Kitemoana)
Mission Bay
Bastion Point (Takaparawhau)
Achilles Point (Te Pane o Horoiwi)
Parnell Village
Mt Eden (Maungawhau)
Auckland Domain (Pukekawa)
Auckland Museum

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Tamaki Drive, Tamaki, Auckland Central, Auckland New Zealand

Learn about the history, present and future of Tamaki Drive from a Maori perspective. See the historic Parnell Baths, Whai Rawa land, Tararua Bay and Whakatakataka Bay.

Duration: 15 minutes

Pass By: Mission Bay Beach, Auckland Central, Auckland New Zealand

See stunning Mission Bay beach with it's cafes, bars, parks and famous fountain, and hear the stories and history of the area from your Maori Guides, passed down from their ancestors - Maori Chiefs that helped to establish Tamaki Makauru - the city of Auckland.

Stop At: Bastion Point, Hapimana Street, Mission Bay, Auckland 1071 New Zealand

Explore Bastion Point in Orakei, overlooking the Waitematā Harbour. The area is significant in New Zealand history as the site of protests by Māori against forced land alienation by pākehā in the late 1970s. Now the site of Kitemoana - a Maori Marae & Village, your hosts will guide you through the history and future of the land, people and stories.

Duration: 30 minutes

Pass By: Parnell Road, Auckland Central, Auckland 1052 New Zealand

See the historical shopping village of Parnell with it’s many cafes, restaurants, Boutique Stores, Art Galleries, the Holy Trinity Cathedral and hear the cultural stories of the area.

Stop At: Access off Hillside Crescent Mount Eden Road, Auckland Central, Auckland 1024 New Zealand

Take in the 360 views from Maungawhau, or Mt Eden - one of the tallest mountains in Auckland City, and enjoy an optional traditional Maori Hangi Lunch (additional cost - please add during booking process) up the mountain while you hear the stories of the mountain from your Maori Guide.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Auckland Domain, Park Road, Auckland Central, Auckland New Zealand

The Domain was formed by volcanic activity 140,000 years ago, and set aside in 1880 as a 200-acre public reserve. Now home to the Auckland Museum, the Winter Gardens, numerous native bush walking tracks, and stunning views over Auckland City, there is plenty of opportunity to explore and connect with nature and the history of the area during this stop.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Auckland War Memorial Museum, The Auckland Domain, Parnell, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010 New Zealand

The Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira (or simply the Auckland Museum) is one of New Zealand's most iconic landmarks and important museums and war memorials, offering panoramic views over the city of Auckland.

Duration: 15 minutes