WHAKAREWAREWA VILLAGE
ROTORUA
Whakarewarewa, the Living Māori Village, is home to the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, who can trace their ancestry back to the Te Arawa people, who first occupied the Te Whakarewarewa Valley in 1325. It's owned and operated by local residents, offering a look into the day-to-day lives of those in the village. Visitors can join a guided tour with a local guide to learn about the history of the village as well as watch cultural performances that pay tribute to their traditional performance arts. There is even a traditional cooking demonstration, where residents prepare their hāngī meals using steam boxes buried in the ground. Beyond the village, visitors can explore the geothermal landscape with nature walks around stunning lakes, boiling mud pools and through native New Zealand bush. For those who are interested, there is also an earth science facility which researches the geothermal activity of the area, an important natural resource for the Māori community who live there.
Open Sat-tues, 10am-2pm. whakarewarewa.com