A Visit to a Māori Thermal Village in Rotorua

The unique pungent scent of sulphur greeted us good morning. The smell of Rotorua reminded me of rotten eggs. I suddenly remembered a tour guide in the Kiwi Experience Bus Tour we boarded in 2007 calling the city *"rotten-rua" * Our noses eventually got used to it. This aroma comes from the volcanic activity in this incredible geothermal paradise.

It was a cold summer morning two days before Christmas while we walked on the empty tree lined street on our way to Te Whakarewarewa, a living thermal Māori village. (Try pronouncing the village name fast, I still can't haha).

According to a brochure I read in the Visitors Information Center, Rotorua has one of the highest Māori population. The original tour guides of the thermal attractions were the descendants of the people of Te Arawa tribe who first settled in the region and they have been welcoming guests since 1800s.

A decade ago, Yohann and I went to a Māori Cultural Concert in Rotorua one evening which we both enjoyed. We wanted Mom and Dad to experience it as well while learning about Māori history, traditions and culture.

The best way to immerse ourselves in these was by visiting an actual living Māori village situated in a geothermal valley.

Te Whakarewarewa is located at 17 Tyron Street, just 5 minutes drive south from Rotorua City Center. It is open daily from 8:30AM to 5:00 PM. There are several cultural performances running throughout the day. We booked the guided tour a day prior.

The village sits on an active volcanic site where you will see mud pools and the Pohutu Geyser. Our tour guide narrated myths and legends as well as tales of volcanic eruptions. She showed us how they utilize the thermal waters in bathing and heating. It was also interesting to see her demonstrate how to prepare a Māori Hangi, a method of cooking food in a pit oven that looked like baskets using the hot steam coming directly from the ground. The traditional hangi is usually buried in a dug pit underground using heated rocks. We didn't get a chance to try the food though during this guided tour, but the tender vegetables and meat of the hangi dinner we had a decade ago was still fresh in my memory.

We sauntered in the village following the group tour and watched Pohutu Geyser shoot up in the air in furious spurts. We watched a cultural show afterwards packed with Māori songs, combat, poi dances and the must-to-see performance of the legendary and vigorous "Haka."

Our tour ended and we spent the next hour in a Kanapanapa Track, a self-guided 45-50 minute nature walk offering spectacular views of the green lake and the village geothermal landscape.

Check out our video in the village below

Verdict: We all had a splendid time and we definitely made a great decision adding this activity into our itinerary. I highly recommend it.

If you enjoyed this nature walk , I will be sharing a trip to The Redwoods next. Thanks for reading!

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