Fact Sheets & Video - New Zealand

Tourists can visit traditional buildings and places that hold significance to the Maori people, through local tour guides.

The Marae is a sacred community hall that holds the stories and history of the Maori culture. Visitors can actually take part in a traditional welcoming ceremony.

The welcoming ceremony is performed by the local chief and aims to take away the visitors' 'tapu', the strangeness they have brought with them from other places.

The ceremony usually takes about half an hour and is almost like being initiated into a sacred club. After exchanging speeches and songs in Maori and English, it is time to meet and greet Maori style. After the festivities you may want to take a look at other aspects of Maori culture such as carving. Tupari is a local master carver and the ideal person to see if you want some carving done.

Carving is a very intricate art. Depending on the delicacy of the project a piece can take days to complete. For example, a family totem can take about 400 hours to complete.

Half an hour up the road is Waitangi National Reserve. It was here the Maoris and Europeans signed the treaty that formed modern New Zealand back in 1840.

Despite the signing of the treaty the fierce battles continued and the site is now home to the largest war canoe in the world.

To gain a further insight into the Maori way life head to Waitangis nightly Light and Sound show. The show is an hour in duration and a non stop parade of mighty Maori song and dance.

Many of the hotels in the area also offer dinner and dance shows for around $45. The dinners are buffest-style and with most of the menu still being cooked following traditional Hangi methods you can be assured that both the food and the entertainment are authentic.

The facts

Air New Zealand flies to Auckland daily. Prices start from $649 from Sydney and $1030 from Perth.

Air New Zealand

Tel: 13 24 76

Air New Zealand Holidays

Ph: 1300 365 525

Tourism New Zealand

Tel: 02 9728 5801

www.tourisminfo.govt.nz