Tamaki Maori Village

The first thing that I need to do is apologize for the photo quality. Everything was coming out blurry that night. The temperature was a bit cooler, and certainly people kept moving, but I'm not sure that's a good explanation. I might just be better with nature photography.

Obviously if we were going to New Zealand, we had to go to a Maori feast. There are several options everywhere you go. In Rotorua, there are at least three. We had booked with Tamaki Maori Village in advance, if for no other reason than that I found information on them first, and they fit into our itinerary. The mean bus driver said Mitai was the one to go to, but he was mean, so what does he know. I don't really know anything about Mitai or Te Puia, so I'm just going to tell you how our experience went.

We had a pickup at our hotel and were taken to a central location where we were divided into tribes and loaded onto buses. To get you into the experience, you become a tribe journeying to the village. On the bus we picked a chief and we talked about rowing. (Talking does not sound as interactive as it was, but we were not actually rowing, so that's what I'm going to have to call it.) Also, protocol was explained for the process of being challenged and entering the village.

There were five buses, therefore five chiefs, so they stood out front while the rest of us stood behind and around them. Warriors came and issued the challenge, then, satisfied that we came in peace, we were allowed to enter the village.

This is probably a good time to explain the background. Tamaki Maori Village was started by the Tamaki brothers. Their goal was to get people out of the cities into a real village setting, which is why we had the bus ride (you can get the feast and show at hotel theaters). They couldn't find investors, so they sold their motorcycles (which they loved) to get up some funds, and built it up. My understanding is that it has been successful enough that the motorcycles have been replaced.

So when you get to the village, there are traditional structures set up, and demonstrations of weaving and food preparation and warrior training. There is time to look around and ask questions, and get photos with the cast members. This is the only real time to do that, as they disappear after the show.

The show was okay. I think it was more exciting at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii, but maybe this is more accurate. The PCC does have a bigger cast and a bigger space, but then they are throwing in other dances too, and this was all Maori, and only Maori.

After the show we went in to dinner. It was a buffet, and it would be reasonable to wonder what all was served, but I'm not sure I remember everything. I think there was lamb, chicken, and fish for meat. There were definitely carrots and sweet potatoes (which they call kumara). I think there were regular potatoes too, and different kinds of breads. It was good. The wait staff were fun, and there was a lot of good-natured joking and teasing (like making a special point of finding the Australians and British to show them where the bar was).

We had fairly good interactions with people. On the bus to Waitomo, we were with some Americans who were just know-it-alls, and complainers. One woman had been held up in customs because she forgot she had an apple in her pack, and it cost her 200 NZD. The man in the other couple spent a lot of time talking about whom he would complain to, and how he was going to complain everywhere to punish Qantas for a reservation issue he had, even though based on what he said it was at least partially his ignorance that caused it.

We did have some Americans at our table, but they were fine. Overall it was a very international group. In addition to the British and Australians (who did not seem to be drunkards), there were people from Fiji, and Taiwan, I think--lots of places that I don't remember. Everyone was pretty friendly.

It also gave us a chance to realize how lucky we were. We found people who had completely missed the cave tour because the rain kept coming, and people who had to spend an extra night in Queenstown because of snow, and who never got to see a kiwi despite spending a lot of money to do so. Yes, we had our issues in southern Australia and other places, but really we were doing okay. We had been able to see a lot and there was more on the way.

Also, we got a huge ovation on the way back. They have already done all the educating on the way out, so on the way back they have people give introductions, and sing. They skipped a few to get to us, because we were the only Americans on the bus and they thought we would be interesting (it was the chief's idea). I gave our names and origins, and said, "Just because people usually want to know, let me say that we are all voting for Obama" and they erupted into applause.

When that died down I had no idea what to sing, but the driver interjected and started us on "She'll be coming round the mountain." It was time to sing this because we were at the turnaround, and tour drivers often like to have a few extra spins. We went around at least four times.

Now, you may remember that we met a girl on the way to Rainbow Springs, and she did not have as full an itinerary, but I think based on our influence she decided to go to Tamaki, and we ran into her there. Also, she went to the museum (which we did not get to, but she recommended) and met a guy, and he mysteriously decided to go to Tamaki as well. Really they were both very nice, but it seemed strangely typical to see someone else picking up guys when we were not (no offense if you read this, Michelle).

And that will be a somewhat relevant point in the next update, which will be a bit of a transitional piece.

http://www.maoriculture.co.nz/
http://www.mitai.co.nz/
http://www.nzmaori.co.nz/
http://www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz/