Maori Culture & Kerikeri Highlights
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Port
Waitangi (Bay of Islands), New Zealand
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$109.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3¾ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Get acquainted with the rich traditions and culture of the Maori people, who have lived in this area for more than 800 years.
After tendering to Waitangi's wharf, you will be welcomed by your Maori guide and transfer to nearby Kerikeri.
Stop for photos of the historic Kerikeri Mission Estate, where two of New Zealand's oldest buildings are located -- Kemp House and the Stone Store.
Continue through the pretty town of Kerikeri, well known for its citrus orchards
A special highlight will be a visit to a traditional Maori marae or meeting place. A drive through the lush green Northland countryside leads to the marae. Here you will experience a traditional Maori welcome after entering the richly-carved meetinghouse of the Maori people. The elders of the tribe will explain the carvings and the traditions of the Maori people. They trace their ancestry back to the earliest Maori voyages to New Zealand from Polynesia. A light refreshment is served.
Return to the Bay of Islands via Waimate North where, for a short time in the late 1830s and early 1840s, the influential Anglican Church established its New Zealand headquarters.
Finally, visit the many locations around the Waitangi Reserve where Maori ancestors fiercely debated the Treaty of Waitangi -- New Zealand's founding document. A viewpoint overlooks the treaty house grounds.