Whakarewarewa (The Living Maori Village) [25/02/2017]
near Whakarewarewa, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)
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Route through the village of Whakarewarewa (full name: Te Whakarewarewa Tanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao), also known as The Living Maori Village, given that it is a town where Maoris live and continue following old traditions. To enter the town as a tourist, you have to pay for entrance, and once inside everyone is free to return and visit it on their own; However, with the ticket price there is an opportunity to see a show of Maori music and dance, as well as a guided tour, which is what has been done in this case.
The route begins at Memorial Archway, a stone arch that gives entrance to the town, and commemorates the soldiers killed in the First and Second World War; the inscription "Te Hokowhitu a Tu" pays tribute to Tu (Tumatauenga), the guardian of the War. Just next door you can also see the poster with the name of the town, the short and the long, written all together (it means "The Meeting Place of the Army of Waihao", being Waihao the name of a warrior). The first point of interest is the bridge to cross the stream Te Puarenga, from where the children of the town launch to receive coins from visitors, which is why it is also called "Penny Divers." After going through clay ponds, following a path surrounded by maori statures that resemble guardians ("pouwhenua" or "well"), which differ according to those who have a weapon (called "mere") and those who do not Have, you reach the meeting point or "marae", Whare Tipuna. The route then goes to the Parekohuru or Murderous Ripples ("killer waves"), the largest hot water dig of the town and used to cook; In fact, just next to it are boxes prepared to cook in the hāngi style, that is, cooking on the floor, taking advantage of the heat of the geothermal activity of the earth. The next visit is the place where the communal baths are located, a kind of bathtubs filled with channels that come from the hot water springs, and where the Maori inhabitants bathe completely whipping twice a day , very early in the morning and in the evening before going to sleep. Nearby there is a viewpoint from where you can see two of New Zealand's most active geysers, the Pohutu on the left and the Prince of Wales "Feathers" on the right, which erupt, on average, at least once per hour; The first is the largest and most famous of all New Zealand geysers and its height varies from 10 to 40 meters, while the second is the most active. From here, the route passes through Korotiotio ("Grumpy Man" or "Home Rondinaire"), the most volatile ten that causes very hot water (120 degrees Celsius) to flow to the surface; the Tuhoromatakaka, a house built for Maggie Papakura, which was one of the most famous guides of the town; and the Catholic Church and the cemetery, where the bodies bury themselves above the ground to avoid the heat of the geothermal activity of the area. At this point you can also see a picture on the wall of a house where you can see how it might have been the landscape for years. Finally, you reach the furthest point of the route, another viewpoint of the geysers located much closer to the shores, and from where you can also see clearly the blue lake called "the bluey's" (for blue water bright that it contains), which is an ideal pisicine only for the inhabitants of the village.
At this point, the guided tour ends, and there is the option of returning to the village until closing time for visitors, or doing some of the hikes around the village, enjoying forests, lakes and points High places to enjoy good panoramic views. In this case, it returns to the starting point to finish the route.
It is an absolutely affordable route, which does not require signage because there is no marked circuit (with the entrance, a map is provided that details each town's point of interest in detail), and that allows you to discover the way of life of the Maori inhabitants, who continue to follow their traditions. Other worthwhile additional options are the Maori cultural show that is celebrated in the village, which is composed of various musical and dance performances, as well as the typical maori greetings, the hongi (press the nose and the front of a person with the others), as well as a guided tour, which allows listening and learning details of the Maori culture by the hands of an expert guide. Depending on the time, there is also the option of eating hāngi that has been prepared in Parekohuru. Although paying, it is one of the cheapest options in the city of Rotorua to see and learn from Maori culture. If this is the goal of the walker, then it is a recommended route.
The route begins at Memorial Archway, a stone arch that gives entrance to the town, and commemorates the soldiers killed in the First and Second World War; the inscription "Te Hokowhitu a Tu" pays tribute to Tu (Tumatauenga), the guardian of the War. Just next door you can also see the poster with the name of the town, the short and the long, written all together (it means "The Meeting Place of the Army of Waihao", being Waihao the name of a warrior). The first point of interest is the bridge to cross the stream Te Puarenga, from where the children of the town launch to receive coins from visitors, which is why it is also called "Penny Divers." After going through clay ponds, following a path surrounded by maori statures that resemble guardians ("pouwhenua" or "well"), which differ according to those who have a weapon (called "mere") and those who do not Have, you reach the meeting point or "marae", Whare Tipuna. The route then goes to the Parekohuru or Murderous Ripples ("killer waves"), the largest hot water dig of the town and used to cook; In fact, just next to it are boxes prepared to cook in the hāngi style, that is, cooking on the floor, taking advantage of the heat of the geothermal activity of the earth. The next visit is the place where the communal baths are located, a kind of bathtubs filled with channels that come from the hot water springs, and where the Maori inhabitants bathe completely whipping twice a day , very early in the morning and in the evening before going to sleep. Nearby there is a viewpoint from where you can see two of New Zealand's most active geysers, the Pohutu on the left and the Prince of Wales "Feathers" on the right, which erupt, on average, at least once per hour; The first is the largest and most famous of all New Zealand geysers and its height varies from 10 to 40 meters, while the second is the most active. From here, the route passes through Korotiotio ("Grumpy Man" or "Home Rondinaire"), the most volatile ten that causes very hot water (120 degrees Celsius) to flow to the surface; the Tuhoromatakaka, a house built for Maggie Papakura, which was one of the most famous guides of the town; and the Catholic Church and the cemetery, where the bodies bury themselves above the ground to avoid the heat of the geothermal activity of the area. At this point you can also see a picture on the wall of a house where you can see how it might have been the landscape for years. Finally, you reach the furthest point of the route, another viewpoint of the geysers located much closer to the shores, and from where you can also see clearly the blue lake called "the bluey's" (for blue water bright that it contains), which is an ideal pisicine only for the inhabitants of the village.
At this point, the guided tour ends, and there is the option of returning to the village until closing time for visitors, or doing some of the hikes around the village, enjoying forests, lakes and points High places to enjoy good panoramic views. In this case, it returns to the starting point to finish the route.
It is an absolutely affordable route, which does not require signage because there is no marked circuit (with the entrance, a map is provided that details each town's point of interest in detail), and that allows you to discover the way of life of the Maori inhabitants, who continue to follow their traditions. Other worthwhile additional options are the Maori cultural show that is celebrated in the village, which is composed of various musical and dance performances, as well as the typical maori greetings, the hongi (press the nose and the front of a person with the others), as well as a guided tour, which allows listening and learning details of the Maori culture by the hands of an expert guide. Depending on the time, there is also the option of eating hāngi that has been prepared in Parekohuru. Although paying, it is one of the cheapest options in the city of Rotorua to see and learn from Maori culture. If this is the goal of the walker, then it is a recommended route.
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