Rotorua

Learning about Maori culture has been a rich part of our New Zealand experience. Ebony and Gus (pictured below) have been with us throughout and are proud ambassadors of their heritage. I’ve mused on something Gus said - his people introduce themselves by their tribe, their mountain, and their river. Ebony is a naturopathic healer. I always enjoyed their talks on everything from Maori history to the art of Moko (tattoos.)

We took a bus ride to Rotorua, the home of the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. There we learned about Maori wood-carving and weaving.

We walked through an infrared-lit kiwi enclosure. Kiwis are nocturnal, so they are rarely seen. We couldn’t take pictures so I included an online clip.

We walked to a viewing area of extensive geothermal activity.

Finally we watched a Maori musical program.

It was a fun day.Read more