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Hangi & Haka At A Maori Village

Maori "Haka" (a dramatic dance with a lot of chanting, facial movements and tongue poking), North Island, New Zealand

Maori “Haka” (a dramatic dance with a lot of chanting, facial movements and tongue poking), North Island, New Zealand

The second attraction that makes people come to Rotorua is a strong presence of Maori culture, mostly manifested in over-commercialised evening shows. There, tourists from “different tribes” eat Hangi, food cooked on hot stones in pits dug in the ground and watch various dances. The more famous ones are the “Poi”, where female dancers swing ball tied to the end of a cord and the “Haka”, a dramatic dance with a lot of chanting, facial movements and tongue poking. Continue Reading →

Rotorua – The Sulphur City

 

Maori Museum, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

Maori Museum, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

In case you wonder where this nickname comes from, wander through the street of this small town and the odour of rotten eggs says it all. This is geothermal country with exploding geysers, bubbling mud pools and the omnipresent smell of sulphur. The potential of this thermal wonderland was recognized from early on. Tourists travelled here to marvel at the geothermal landscape as early as the late 19th century and spas were built around 1902, promising cure from gout and rheumatism. Continue Reading →