Mitai Maori Village Ancient World Experience

Make your own way to the Mitai Maori Village, just 5 minutes from central Rotorua, in time for your 11am or 1pm tour. After meeting your Maori guide, set out to explore the village on foot. 

Step back into a time prior to European settlement in New Zealand (Aotearoa) and learn how the tribe of Ngati Whakaue, situated at the base of the spiritual Mount Ngongotaha, once lived their everyday lives. Gaze upon the sparkling blue waters of the beautiful sacred spring of Waiwhakarukuhanga-atua (water where gods plunge) which was and still is, regarded as a portal to the underworld. Hear the history of patupaiarehe (fairies) who would descend the misty slopes of Mount Ngongotaha to drink from its sacred waters and the Maori priest of old who prayed at the spring to consult with the gods before making plans for the future. 

Along the way, see the the various whare (houses), pataka (food storehouse), whakairo (carvings), puhara (watch towers) and tu-watawata (palisading) that are located within the Maori village. Learn more about traditional Rongoa (Maori medicine), which uses native plants and herbs to heal wounds or cleanse the body from toxins; discover the techniques that Maori used to catch birds, fish and eels; and hear how Maori utilized trapping tools such as hinaki (nets) and bird troughs to catch prey.

Finish your tour with a drink of water from the sacred spring and a taste of rewana bread (Maori bread) made from a family recipe that has been in the Mitai family for over one hundred years.