11 day trip New Zealand

Scheduled for 21 January to 31 January 2020

If you want to get to know a country, you and its residents must eat, drink, travel, celebrate, sleep, work, laugh, cry, sing and we will do exactly that.

We take a deep dive into the culture of the Maori

You are a guest of the Tuhoe community for 11 days. Your journey will begin by being transported from Rotorua to Waikaremoana, into the depths of Te Urewera forest. On arrival you will be formally welcomed onto one of the local Marae. The traditional carved building will be your ‘home’ for the next five days. In the following five days, you will be taken to another part of Tuhoe based in the valley of Ruatoki or Waimana, the area that both Erina and Tikirau were raised. Again, you will be hosted on one of our many Marae. You live with them and get to know who they are and how they live.

You will meet a mix of culture, nature, community, traditions, lifestyle and wisdom of the Tuhoe. An exchange with the original inhabitants of this area that no tourist will experience. You will become acquainted with the spiritual world of the Tuhoe: The Marae, Lake Waikaremoana and if weather permitting, the sacred mountain, Maungapohatu, a number of special healers and of course their connection with ‘all that is’. You visit a number of places where the Tuhoe live and work. You will visit at least one of three tribal hubs or centers.

Te Urewera nature reserve

Te Urewera is a native forest and because of its unspoilt nature an energetic paradise. A visit to this beautiful unique reserve is therefore an energetic experience. Your consciousness automatically expands there. Those who are sensitive to higher energies can experience a walk through this mysterious reserve as a journey through different dimensions. At Urewera, the original habitat of the Tuhoe tribe, was returned to the Maori in 2014 by the New Zealand government.

Hikoi around Lake Waikaremoana

Lake Waikaremoana is part of the Te Urewera nature reserve. A hikoi (hike) around this sacred lake or the Tuhoe is a spiritual experience. You make a journey under the guidance of the Maori but with spirit as a guide. You experience particularly powerful energies that only occur around this lake. In connection with the water, the stones, the animals, the trees and Mount Panakiri you will be guided on your inner journey. You may get powerful visions. You may get a view or your quest. The overnight stays are in hikers’ cabins.

Maungapohatu

Maungapohatu is the most sacred of mountain for the Tuhoe people and is situated in the depth of Te Urewera. forest. It rarely happens that whites are admitted to visit this mountain. The summit of Maungapohatu is usually surrounded by fog, a sign of spirit for the Tuhoe. It is always uncertain whether the mountain will be open to you and the fog will dissolve. Access to this area can be limited and so is not always available.

Na Wharehou o Tuhoe (Tribal Hubs) – Waikaremoana, Ruatahuna and Taneatua

The new centers within three different Tuhoe tribal areas are designed to serve as administrative and community based hubs but also to reflect the aspirations and ‘way forward’ for the Tuhoe people. The first of the historical centres was established according to the Living Building Challenge (LBC), which consists of seven areas: location, water, energy, health, materials, justice and beauty. This approach demonstrates the intention of the Tūhoe values and principles.

Ruatoki/Waimana

Ruatoki and Waimana are communities that are part of the Tuhoe tribal area. It is not as desely forested as Waikaremoana and Ruatahuna, but these areas are very active and unique in their own right. There is an opportunity to stay on a different Marae, ride horses, swim in the river, take a tour of the very first Tuhoe building in Taneatua and also visit other neighbouring tribal areas. You will walk ‘Toi’s track’, be taken to visit the site of Kaputerangi – the foremost Paa (settlement) of the original inhabitants of the area. Being close to the beaches, you will be able to spend time at Ohope Beach and Otarawairere, these two beaches that are connected to each other by a walking track. If you are not keen to walk long distances, there are more activities that you can choose, such as sitting on the beach and/or exploring the local shops.

Tarawera Track and waterfall

Tarawera track and waterfall is a hidden gem located in a neighbouring tribal area, and situated on the edge of a cultivated Pine forest behind the local township of Kawerau. The track will take approimately 2 ½ hours from the edge of the Tarawera lake through to the stunning Tarawera Falls. After this walk, you will be able to take a swim and soak at the thermal hot pools in Kawerau. A nice way to rest and relax after the walk.

Unique journey

This journey is a unique opportunity that the Tuhoe offer to those who have appreciation for nature and wilderness. The many years of relationship that Maori Spirit Netherlands Foundation has built up with Tikirau Ata and his Whanau (soul mates) makes this possible. Children are welcome.