Te Puia Maori Cultural Tour and Steambox Lunch
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Te Puia Maori Cultural Tour and Steambox Lunch
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Te Puia Maori Cultural Tour and Steambox Lunch

2h30
Lunch
Instant confirmation
About this activity
A dozen monumental Maori carvings known as the Te Heketanga-a-Rangi (Heavenly Origins) greet you at the entrance to Te Puia,he New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.

When you arrive, choose the raw ingredients for your lunchbox and set off on your 2.5-hour guided tour of the grounds. While you’re checking out traditional artwork, your lunch is prepared on steam vents using an ancient Maori method. The Maori people have cooked using the naturally occurring steam and hot water within Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley for hundreds of years, and still do today.

Your 2.5-hour guided tour reveals the legends behind the arrival of the Maori in Rotorua, and explores Maori customs and traditions via interactive galleries at the Te Whare Tapere meeting house.

Enjoy visits to the national carving and weaving schools, where these prestigious crafts are taught by masters of the arts. See carving and flax-weaving demonstrations, and stop by the Kiwi House to spot New Zealand's national native bird. The enclosure is specially lit to help you spot this notoriously elusive nocturnal bird.

Your tour also takes you to the bubbling mud pools and steaming hot springs of this amazing geothermal region, where the 100-foot (30-meter) Pohutu Geyser erupts up to 20 times a day.

Stop at the terrace overlooking the Pohutu Geyser to watch your lunch carefully emerge from the Nga Wha steam vent that uses natural geothermal heat to cook your meal.

Relax on the terrace and enjoy your traditionally cooked steambox meal for the ultimate taste of Maori culture!
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Included
  • Professional guide
  • Steambox lunch
  • Bottle of water (with lunch)
  • Flax weaving workshop
  • Entry/Admission - New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute
  • Entry/Admission - Te Puia
Not included
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Please wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes
Features
Tourism
95%
Cultural
85%
Original
30%
Reviews
4.8
9
M
Mrs A H
5 | 2018-01-08

This is definitely a tour not to miss. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and welcoming. We enjoyed the novelty of choosing our food to be cooked in the steam box and eating it whilst overlooking the geysers. We learned a lot about the history and traditions of New Zealand.

D
David B
4 | 2017-07-04

Interesting

M
Mrs A H
5 | 2016-02-24

A brilliant tour very informative and an interesting and excellent steambox lunch!

R
Rachel L
5 | 2015-11-11

Very interesting tour, tasty food. Gift shop also well worth a look. I allowed myself more time at Te Puia to do the hike around the outside and I was glad I had.

T
Thomas R
5 | 2014-03-10

When I went up to the booth at the entrance to Te Puia Maori arts and Crafts Institute, I was thinking that I was going to have to do some explaining... I said, "I have a small group..." and immediately Carla spoke up and said "And I will be showing your around today". And she proceeded to come out introduce heresulf, ask the names of each of the eight of us, and describe the time we would be spending together. She was charming, knowledgeable, proud of her culture, and eager to share it with us. The steambox lunch was excellent...and the hands on lessons, up close look at carving, and her ability to weave in her family history were excellent. We had dubbed ourselves the "Kiwi Wannabes"...and the welcome of Carla to Te Puia is one of the reasons we enjoyed the Kiwi and Maori experience so much. have to say also that we ventured into questions of discrimination, earning a living in New Zealand and more...and carla had the thoughtful and incisive answers we sought. Make this a "must" as you visit Rotorua... Tom R.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Rotorua

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