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My name is Peter Moeau, I am a Trustee for Te Unga Mai Trust, we are a group promoting education and participation in history, especially as regards the arrival of the various waka to the Tairawhiti ('waka' such as the traditional waka of the Maori, but also including that of Captain Cook).

I came upon your site by googling Te Kuri a Paoa and was very pleased to read your comments, especially on the relativity of Maori thinking to our present knowledge, and attitudes.

 I congratulate you on a job well-done.

I am a descendant of all of the tribes of Turanganui-a-Kiwa, and am heartened by your openness and the fact that you are promoting clarity and understanding.

Mauriora!

"This is a great website

Tautoko to mahi
Nga mihi nui
"


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Angela Hose
Ex-Administrator /
Co-ordinator /
Sales Manager
WHANGANUI RIVER GUIDES

Maori

Haere Mai - Welcome


New Zealand is justly famous for its indigenous Maori culture. Increasingly, travellers to New Zealand are seeking out more "authentic" experiences than those provided by the packaged tours.

What makes Aotearoa-New Zealand unique in the world of travel is its Maori culture. Other tourist destinations have spectacular natural features and landscapes and similar climates, but it is the Maori culture that gives this country its special flavour. And while other previously colonised countries have indigenous populations, the Maori, in New Zealand continue to exert the robust influence on everyday life and to hold to their cultural traditions more than probably anywhere else.

In addition, the recent dramatic interest in issues of sustainability, and environmental care dovetails perfectly with traditional Maori values of kaitiakitaga (Guardianship). Cultural tourism by its very nature, allows guests to interact with our natural and man-made environments, while encouraging the care and protection of those environments. As the one-time Minister of Tourism has noted:
 
"It strikes the right balance between the economic benefits of tourism and the guardianship of our people, cultures, and landscapes. It is a key component to a truly sustainable tourism market"
(Hon. Dover Samuels, 2004).

1_1.jpg An experience of Maori culture is an essential component of any visit to Aotearoa (the Maori word for New Zealand meaning "Land of the Long White Cloud").

These experiences can come at several different levels - from the Hotel Maori Cultural Performance involving traditional waiata (songs) and haka (dances) owned and operated by non-Maori, down to the small hapu tourism operation which can involve staying on a Marae, and listening to local stories and Maori descriptions of the landscape and the natural world.

Our desire is to enhance and strengthen Maori Tourism by supporting Maori Tourism ventures - particularly small, whanau and hapu-based tourism businesses - and in so doing, supporting the local Maori economies in which they operate.

In this way we support the growth of Maori tourism at a grassroots level, and in so doing to authenticate the life experiences of Maori tourism providers and to establish a truthful representation of Maori for the discerning tourist.

For a more detailed explanation of our philosophy click here.

For a glossary of Maori words and phrases click here.

 

MAORI CULTURAL EXPERIENCES


index_2.jpgMyths & Legends Ecotours

Pete Beech, 316A Waikawa Rd Picton
Ecotours in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand from Myths and Legends Eco-Tours. Birdwatching, wildlife and Maori culture whilst cruising on the classic launch, the Tutanekai.


hongi_1_1.jpgMaori Tours Kaikoura   _qualmark_logo_1_1.gif

Maurice Manawatu, Kaikoura
Join our family for a mixture of laughter and learning, full of the spirit of age old knowledge, yet entirely of today. You will sense the warmest welcome and a refreshing perspective where you are part of a real cultural exchange.
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Footprints_of_Waipoua_Cultural_Tours1_1.jpgFootprints Waipoua Cultural Tour

Koro Carman, 29 State Highway 12, Opononi, Hokianga, Northland
The spiritual environment of the Waipoua Forest provides a natural stage for an unforgettable encounter with some of the largest remaining kauri trees in the world. 'Step into our World' and let our local guides take you on a memorable journey through nature's stages of evolution, whilst providing a mythological and interactive interpretation of life in the forest.
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Waimarama_Maori_Tourism4.jpgWaimarama Maori Tourism

Denise Prentice, Hawke's Bay
Two Maori Cultural Tours located in and near Napier in the Hawke's Bay. The cultural tours are a unique and fresh way to discover the rich traditions and history of the Maori people with knowledgeable local Maori guides.


 

MAORI CULTURE AND TOURISM LINKS


Indigenous New Zealand

Gateway to Maori Tourism

Website: http://inz.maori.nz/

Te Puia

Welcome to Te Puia, New Zealand's premier Maori culture and geothermal visitor experience.
Website: www.nzmaori.co.nz

Haka

Learn the Haka, watch the haka ...
Website: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/app_templates/haka/en/index_content.html

Kōrero Māori

Kōrero Māori is for everyone who wants to speak the Māori language, or learn more about it.
Website: www.koreromaori.co.nz

Mything Links

An Annotated & Illustrated Collection of Worldwide Links to Mythologies, Fairy Tales & Folklore Sacred Arts & Traditions
Website: www.mythinglinks.org/ip~maori.html

Hei Manaaki

Education website for Maori Tourism
Website: www.heimanaaki.ac.nz/