Aroha Awarau explores the cultural attractions and natural wonders of Rotorua
Growing up immersed in Maori culture, it never occurred to me to visit Rotorua and experience the geothermal wonderland and the cultural epicenter as a tourist. But despite my initial cynicism, I spent a whirlwind day at the cultural institution Te Puia and very much enjoyed my short stay in Rotorua.
Te Puia is like a one-stop tourism shop, providing access to everything there is to do and see in Rotorua. It’s home to the Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, Maori cultural performances and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Also at Te Puia is a phenomenon that has been a much-loved staple of the local tourism industry for decades – the Maori tour guides.
Assembling outside Te Puia’s entrance, our eager group of four is greeted by fifth-generation guide Carla Takarangi. Her jovial banter and infectious laughter were to make our day special – Carla is not only good at showing you the sights, she’s also a natural comedian. “Get your cameras ready,” Carla instructs us. “There are many wonderful sights to photograph.” She starts giggling and strikes a supermodel pose, “And of course, feel free to take photos of moi if you want,” she says graciously, leaving our group in hysterics.
We’re ushered into Te Puia’s centrepiece, a circular area where 12 giant wooden poles reach towards the sky, each one intricately etched with traditional Maori carvings. Carla explains that the poles each represent a Maori god and enlightens us about their associated myths and legends. We are then guided into a multimedia centre, taking us from the old to the new. Created by special-effects gurus, the interactive displays are a hit with the kids.
The next stop on our tour is the arts and crafts section of Te Puia, where visitors can see traditional Maori carvers and weavers at work. The school is near the entrance to the steamy geothermal valley, which is the next activity on our list. The valley is home to sulphur terraces, plopping mud pools and a bird sanctuary where you can see kiwi in action.
But the star attraction is the impressive Pohutu geyser, a phenomenon that erupts every hour, blasting a jet of steaming water 20m into the air. We interrupt our valley tour for a brief soirée by a natural boiling pool, dining on a selection of prawns, corn and other hors d’oeuvres cooked in the pool itself. The food only takes eight minutes to cook and it’s absolutely scrumptious – Mother Nature’s very own microwave.
The tour around the valley is a bit of a hike so good footwear is crucial. Visitors can opt for guided tours or roam around by themselves. But a guided tour comes highly recommended as Carla’s humorous commentary made it especially enjoyable.
After our valley tour, we wait for the final event of the evening, a Maori cultural performance and hangi dinner. our small group is joined by larger groups of tourists, mainly from North and South America, all excited to be entertained by Rotorua’s finest kapa haka performers. The group of around 150 is informed about marae protocol before being welcomed onto the marae with a powhiri. The audible gasps of the women behind me let me know they are extremely impressed by the “warriors”.
once the cultural formalities are over, the 20-minute cultural show begins, featuring action songs, poi and haka. The highlight has to be a love duet with two of Rotorua’s songbirds singing the best rendition of Pokarekare Ana I’ve ever heard. of course, it wouldn’t be a cultural performance night without the obligatory audience participation. This provides the humour of the evening, especially the sight of an elderly American gentleman trying to perform a haka but looking more like an odd interpretation of Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance.
Night falls, and after a succulent hangi dinner, and dessert that includes the traditional pavlova, we pile into Te Puia’s people-movers to see the star attraction again, the Pohutu geyser at night. As we enter, the geysers are spraying the heavens, illuminated only by the lights of the night sky. It’s indeed a spectacular sight and the hot chocolate is a nice touch too. What a perfect way to end our stay at Te Puia.
The visit was truly an eye-opener. But for me, the real highlight was our guide Carla, who certainly has a great passion for and knowledge of the area. If the rest of the guides are like her, then they are truly great ambassadors for the Maori people and for Rotorua. And I did indeed snap a picture of Carla as suggested – the supermodel of Rotorua tour guides.
Factfile Drive: Rotorua is three-and-a-half hours drive from Auckland, six-and-a-half hours from Wellington and about 20 hours from Dunedin. Don’t miss: Te Puia, New Zealand’s premier Maori arts, culture and geothermal visitor experience, phone (07) 348 9047 or visit www.tepuia.co.nz or www.nzmaori.co.nz. Stay: Aroha stayed at the Heritage Rotorua hotel in Froude Street, visit www.heritagehotels.co.nz/rotorua.on the web www.rotoruanz.com.
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