My NZ: The Living Thermal Village of Te Whakarewarewa

Tewhakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao; this is the full name of the living thermal Maori village that one gets to visit when in Rotorua. This village has been the home of the Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao people for centuries, and as New Zealand's original tourist attraction, tourism has somewhat made it into a 'showcase'. But you do get a feel of what Maori life is all about in a geothermal setting. Our guide welcomed us with the words 'Nau mai haere mai', and took us around the village and pointed out interesting spots and the facts and stories about them.

Our guide at the start of the village tour (CNB 2014)

Young penny/coin divers greet us on arrival (CNB 2014)

We were shown how the village has 'used the geothermal landscape to cook, clean and bathe for over 300 years'. Especially what hangi or earth oven cooking is all about, and we also had a taste of corn on the cob cooked in the Parekohuru (Champagne) hot pool. For a full hangi meal, there is Ned's Cafe in the village, which was unfortunately closed by the time we got hungry there.

Cooking corn in the Champagne Pool (CNB 2014)

General view of a part of the village and thermal pools

The village manaakitanga (hospitality) was greatly felt when dancers and musicians of the Kapa Haka Group entertained visitors with their colourful display of swaying harakeke (flax) piupiu (decorative skirts), rotating poi (ball on string/dancing aid), and 'threatening' haka or posture dance. There was a full house that day because the cruise ship tourists had arrived there too. Being ... ahem, travelers, we had the freedom to explore the village on our own even after the guide left us.

The Kapa Haka Group of Whakarewarewa (CNB 2014)

The usual pose of tourists travelers and dancers 

So it was that we could retrace our steps to await the highlight of our visit to erupt! It is of course the famous Pohutu geyser. We just stood and gazed in awe when it erupted almost on cue (once or twice each hour), reaching heights of 30 metres/100 feet. The 'shorter' Prince of Wales Feathers geyser usually also erupts just before Pohutu does. We also discovered the Whakanuia Friendship Walk (WFW) which enabled us to enjoy more of what a geothermal landscape could offer. Bubbling mud pools, boiling mineral springs, silica terraces, steaming lakes, hot springs, even mini mud volcanoes. (By the way the Malaysian flag is represented twice on the WFW information board - one rightfully for Malaysia, the other for Sri Lanka!)

The Pohutu & Prince of Wales Feathers geysers (CNB 2014)

A mini mud volcano along WFW (CNB 2014)

We ended our visit at the marae (village plaza) and had a peek into the whare tipuna (ancestoral meeting house) with its intricate carvings both inside and out.

Note: Other than Te Whakarewarewa, other Maori villages in Rotorua are the Tamaki and Mitai.