A trip to New Zealand wouldn't be complete without a stop in Rotorua, located about a 3 hour drive…read moresouth east of Auckland on the North Island. If you're looking for a quiet, pastoral village... Well, Rotorua might not be the right place for you. This town is buzzing with tour buses, and it was one of the very first places to jump on the tourism bandwagon. Kiwis, known for their sense of irony, have even dubbed it as "Roto Vegas," given its many motel and neon signs. But in reality, it's nothing like it.
You see, Rotorua is the geothermal center of the country. It's also a hot spot for adrenaline junkies, home to New Zealand's commercially operating "Zorbing" company. Never heard of Zorbing? Basically, you roll down a hill inside an inflatable ball. Think of it as a human laundry machine. And yes, people pay money to do this!
But more importantly, Rotorua is where you can experience authentic Maori culture, learning about Ta Moko (traditional tattooing), the haka (a ceremonial dance) and hangi (meals cooked in an underground oven).
Mitai Maori Village is my top pick to experience a spectacular evening Maori performance. Even cooler? The tour also included a guided bush walk where we saw glow worms in their natural element and saw a Kiwi bird at a nearby sanctuary. We did a ton of things in Rotorua but this experience was our favorite.
Mitai Maori Village has re-created what life was like for the first inhabitants of New Zealand, or Aotearoa, meaning 'Land of the Long White Cloud.' I felt welcomed like a member of their whānau (or family). There are many other Maori cultural centers in Rotorua, but we did our homework and were happy to see that Mitai Maori Village ranked at the top. The night we attended there were visitors from 15 countries, showing the true draw from around the world. Advanced reservations are essential, especially if you only have a short time in New Zealand.
The evening began with a warm and personalized meet and greet from one of the Maori women dressed in traditional attire and decorated with moko kauae (or tattoo) worn on the chin. The woman's moko can also occasionally appear on the forehead, upper lip, nostrils and throat.
"Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa," our Maori host called out as we all got seated. This is the traditional way of saying hello. When I lived in New Zealand back in 2003, I could recite a traditional Maori greeting by memory. But let's just say, I have a hard time remembering what I did yesterday so a Maori language tutorial was very helpful.
We were given the overview of the night -- first, we'd see a traditional waka (canoe ceremony), then ceremonial dances followed by an all-you-can-eat meal. Sounds good to me. But first, we needed to select a chief to represent our group. I felt tempted to volunteer my partner for the job. But I knew my marriage would likely be on the line! We eventually chose our chief who performed the best haka. Yeah, that definitely would have led to a divorce.
The most sacred part of the welcome is during the first 5 minutes, where you acknowledge the creator, then those who passed on. They brought our chief up on stage and greeted him with the hongi, which involves touching your nose and forehead to another person's. Think of it as a traditional handshake. Remember, if you volunteer to be the chief, you'll be up on stage in front of everyone and asked to give a speech. I was impressed by our chief who seemed (mostly) at ease and gave a thoughtful welcome.
You won't walk away hungry from this feast. It's buffet style and you're welcome to go up as many times as you'd like. Nobody is judging... Okay, maybe I was a little after I saw someone at our table go up for their 5th time. There was chicken, lamb, potatoes, kumara (sweet potatoes), veggies rice and more. And let's not forget about the dessert spread. Now I feel like I'm in Vegas!
Well, what could be better after a meal? How about a walk through the woods? I signed up for the special combo experience. It is slightly more expensive, but we both felt is a great way to wrap up the night. Culture AND animals? You got our sweet spot.
Our guide led us through the woods to the Wai-o-whiro stream to see glow worms in their natural surroundings. We did the Blackwater Canyon tour in Waitomo, but let's just say this was a much more comfortable experience (no wet suits required!). Then, we made our way over to Rainbow Springs where we went inside the enclosure to see Kiwi birds hunting for bugs.
It takes some effort to see these nocturnal flightless birds. So it's no wonder that most New Zealanders haven't ever actually seen one in the wild. Rainbow Springs is also home to the Kiwi Hatchery, which is working to save the Kiwi bird from going extinct.
I highly recommend the spot for an entertaining night out for the family.
