Restless NATIV Exclusive Culture Day

Be immersed in Maori culture for a day. Travel around Rotorua and Whakatane, learn more about Maori history, and try some hands-on cultural activities.

The owners of Nativ Connectionz pride themselves on providing this Exclusive Culture Day that offers a real connection to the Maori culture. This fully guided tour has something for everyone.

Starting in Rotorua at 8am, you`ll travel through the town and out towards native forests and the beautiful Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoma. There are plenty of photo opportunities before arriving in nearby Whakatane.

The town has rich Maori heritage and is New Zealand's oldest settlement and long held stronghold of the Ngāti Awa Maori tribe.

Your experience will begin with a hangi, a Maori feast cooked over hot stones in the ground. You can learn first-hand how to prepare a hangi - from the heating of the volcanic rocks to the techniques that trap the steam, this practice is an art that has been honed over the course of centuries.

A visit to the Te Koputu Gallery Alive Experience offers the chance to learn about Maori artefacts and their stories in a contemporary exhibition space.

The Restless NATIV Exclusive Culture Day also includes fully guided walk along the beautiful Whakatane River. This walk will give you opportunity to learn more about the Maori who settled in the region and what their life would have been like. There is even the chance for visitors to test their fishing skills against the locals.

Whakatane is also the hometown of rugby league star Benji Marshall and the tour includes a stop at his first rugby club at Paroa.

Locals have used geothermal springs for many years to soothe away their aches and pains and rejuvenate their bodies, and now visitors to Rotorua can enjoy the same feeling. The day's journey ends with a soak in a natural hot pool, hidden from the crowds, allowing visitors to relax in the healing waters in peace.

Pricing:

Adults: $180, Children (under 15): $80

Please visit Restless NATIV Rotorua or phone 021 220 8015 for bookings and latest price information.

Restless NATIV Rotorua offers Free Shuttle Service to Whakatane from Rotorua i-SITE visitor centre and Rotorua accommodation. Daily pick up from Rotorua 8am and return at 4pm.