-
travel_explore
Queenstown Explore New Zealand, Australia & Fiji!tune
Experience a once in a lifetime, traditional Māori Whakataū and be welcomed to Wanaka.
Highlights
- The Māori Whakataū is a welcome to New Zealand by the Māori people of NZ
- Leave with a unique Māori Bone Carving as a souvenir of your experience (optional extra)
- See the passion of the Māori culture in Wanaka
- An inspiring cultural experience
- Connect with this beautiful country, by connecting to its beautiful culture
Immerse yourself in the local New Zealand culture with this unique opportunity to see and experience the Tangata Whenua (people of the land) in this special region of NZ.
The traditional ceremony involves several important elements including:
Wero, where a Māori Warrior with Taiaha greets you with a welcoming challenge.
Hongi, the traditional Māori greeting. It is a sign of peace where you lightly press noses. The Hongi is a significant gesture, signifying the "Ha"- the breath of life, between two people. By pressing noses you are creating a special connection through a sacred and noble gesture.
Haka, a traditional Māori dance, performed for various reasons, such as celebrating an achievement, welcoming distinguished guests, or as a pre-battle challenge. Traditionally, both males and females can perform the Haka. The haka you will witness is completely unique to the area; it pays respect to the Whenua (land) and Whanau (family/people) of the Wanaka and Central Otago region. You will be given an opportunity to perform the Wanaka Haka with the locals if you wish to.
Southern Māori History, a brief history of the local Māori and the integration of Pakeha (European) into the Wanaka and surrounding areas.
Experience this very special welcome to the beautiful Wanaka region.
Authenticated Reviews & Photos All of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme
Showing all 5 authenticated Bookme reviews
From Māori Culture Whakataū/Welcome - 30 - 45 min
Thanks so much Jacqui was a pleasure and honour to share the history of Māori culture here in the South.
louisar from New Zealand wrote on 04 August 2019
Joe is awesome!!! Totally worth it!
You will meet Joe at the Wanaka Lake near the Wanaka Tree. His welcome is incredibly and cool. We had a lot of Fun and love listen to Joe! It was awesome. Make your own experience! :-)
From Māori Culture Whakataū/Welcome - 30 - 45 min
Arohanui to you both, enjoy your travels around NZ and thanks for allowing me to share my Māori culture.
janellew2 from Australia wrote on 27 June 2019
A highlight of our holiday
This experience was a highlight of our holiday and suitable for the whole family. Joe was so welcoming and gracious in sharing his knowledge and love of The Māori culture and heritage.
From Māori Culture Whakataū/Welcome - 30 - 45 min
A pleasure and honour to share my Māori culture with you Janelle and whanau.
Judith Johnson from Australia wrote on 01 February 2019
Non existent
Information was very short on and the address we were given when put into a GPS was no where near a tree you described, so in return we lost our money as we couldn’t locate anyone. We went down to the Wanaka Tree and couldn’t see anyone or find any red cones we were told would be there , very disappointed as we made a special trip to Wanaka just for this experience so left very unhappy.?
From Māori Culture Whakataū/Welcome - 30 - 45 min
Thanks Judith for the review and I am disappointed you missed out on the Māori Welcome but the day before you were contacted the Māori Welcome would commence at 9am, instead of 10am due to hot weather conditions. I would be more than happy in the future to offer a complimentary Māori Welcome if you are back again.
Sanjay from Australia wrote on 11 January 2019
Māori Culture Whakataū/Welcome
Great experience. Excellent.
Copyright © 2025 Bookme Limited.
When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.
Qualmark Gold
This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.
Qualmark Silver
This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.
Qualmark Bronze
The Qualmark Bronze award recognizes a business that operates with a high level of professionalism, is mindful of its environmental impact, and is dedicated to putting customers first.
Continue with Facebook
jacquis from Australia wrote on 14 November 2019
Excellent, Joe was lovely
It was a great experience and recomend taking the time to Learn the history behind it all. We are pleased we did the experience.