After awakening, we headed down to the dining room of the Hotel Ibis to try out the (included) breakfast buffet. It turned out to be more than adequate, including hot and cold cereals, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, grilled tomatoes, fruit juices, coffee and tea, canned and fresh fruits and even miso soup. Thus fortified, we went out into the cold morning air, found the car, and headed out to the Te Puia Maori Cultural Centre.

Te Puia has something for everyone. Obviously, it introduces visitors to Maori culture. But "Te Puia" is a Maori expression for "geyser" or "volcano", which tips one off (one who speaks Maori, at least) to the other main attraction of the Centre, the Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, included in the property (and in the price of admission). There is even a bit of wildlife at the Kiwi House, where live kiwi birds are kept. Photography of the live kiwi birds is not allowed, as they are endangered and nocturnal (the Kiwi House is kept dark).

The main cultural attraction is observance of and participation in a meeting between a Maori village and visitors (you are one of the visitors). The visitors must select a chief to represent them, who precedes them into the outdoor meeting area (or marae). The village sends a warrior out to ascertain the visitors' intentions. The warrior comes out brandishing a Maori weapon (typically a taiaha, a sort of non-throwing spear used for stabbing and disemboweling) and making threatening poses and guttural noises. A gift (typically a fern leaf) is placed on the ground before the visiting chief. If the chief picks up the gift, peaceable intentions are assumed and the visitors are welcomed. If the chief disrespects the gift, the opposite is assumed and the visitors are treated accordingly. It is best to pick up the leaf.


Once they are welcomed, the visitors proceed (following their chief) into the village's meeting house, or wharenui, an elaborately decorated structure with a peaked roof. Once everyone's inside, additional formal welcoming stuff takes place, and then (at Te Puia, anyway) the entertainment starts. This involves singing and dancing by a number of men and women in Maori garb, some sporting elaborate tattoos on their bodies and faces.

The women demonstrate the poi ball dance, which involves the use of lightweight white balls which are connected to each other by flax strings (sometimes long strings, sometimes short). The balls are swung about in impressive feats of dexterity while the women all sing. Female guests are given instruction and invited to try their luck. Mostly their luck isn't very good.


Men and women both participate in a dance that involves tossing sticks to each other in a rhythmic manner, also while singing.

The grand finale is the haka, a dance of intimidation performed by the men which includes much guttural chanting, with bulging eyes and protruding tongues. It's hard to tell what they're chanting about, but it seems to have something to do with eating the audience if they don’t behave themselves. After the experts do their thing, the male guests are invited to have a go. Again, the results are mixed at best, but everyone has a good time.

Following the performance, a guided tour is available. The tour presents a discussion of Maori culture, along with descriptions and demonstrations of weaving and wood carving.

The tour continues with a tram ride past the Kiwi House and into the Geothermal Valley, where guests can either complete the round trip back to the visitor centre, or disembark and explore the valley on foot. The valley is definitely worth the effort, as it is filled with foul-smelling hot springs and steam vents, as well as frequently active geysers (which, unlike Wai-O-Tapu's Lady Knox, don't require human intervention).



The exit from Te Puia leads through a gift shop, where several beautiful examples of Maori wood carving are on display.

From Te Puia we headed back to a spot on the shore of Rotorua's lake, to have a better look at it.