Māori Culture in Rotorua
Māori villages and experiences, places to visit, marae, the iwi of Te Arawa and what the names mean.
Rotorua is in the rohe of Te Arawa, the people descended from the crew of the Te Arawa waka. Here’s where to experience Māori culture in Rotorua: Māori villages and guided experiences, places to visit at your own pace, events, how a marae welcome works, the iwi, te reo classes and what the names mean.
Rotorua in Māori: what the name means
Rotorua is a Māori name. In full it is Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe: the large lake of Kahumatamomoe, discovered second. The Te Arawa explorer Īhenga named it to honour his uncle, Kahumatamomoe.
Lake Rotoiti
Te Rotoiti-kite-a-Īhenga: the small lake discovered by Īhenga.
Mokoia Island
Once called Te Motutapu-a-Tinirau, the island in Lake Rotorua was prized for its strategic position and geothermally warmed gardens.
Waiariki
“Chiefly waters”: the geothermal lakes district Īhenga explored. The Wai Ariki spa on the lakefront takes its name from it.
Ōhinemutu
The lakeside village of Ngāti Whakaue, also named by Īhenga. Ngāti Whakaue gifted the land on which the city of Rotorua was built.
How to say it: four syllables, ro-to-ru-a, with short, even vowels. Roto means lake.
Ways to experience Māori culture in Rotorua
Book a Māori village or guided experience, explore at your own pace, or join in. Check with each operator for dates and prices.
Māori villages and guided experiences
Te Puia
Pōhutu Geyser, the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute’s carving and weaving schools, the kiwi conservation centre, guided tours, haka and hāngī. Day visits are all guided.
Book or find out moreWhakarewarewa – The Living Māori Village
The home of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao. Guided village tours, self-guided geothermal trails and a daily cultural performance.
Book or find out moreMitai Māori Village
Evening hāngī dinner and cultural performance with a waka on the Wai-o-whiro stream, plus a lunch show and a shorter village experience.
Book or find out moreTe Pā Tū
Evening culture and kai in a forest pā: haka pōwhiri, kapa haka, hāngī lifting and a feast, with return transport from central Rotorua. Summer and winter (Matariki) seasons.
Book or find out moreWai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa
Geothermal bathing and spa treatments guided by the healing traditions of Ngāti Whakaue. Wai Ariki means “chiefly waters”.
Book or find out moreMt Tarawera guided hike (Kaitiaki Adventures)
Guided access to Mt Tarawera, with the story of the 1886 eruption and the mountain’s significance to Ngāti Rangitihi, its kaitiaki.
Book or find out moreAt your own pace
Ōhinemutu
The village of Ngāti Whakaue. Walk through free and keep to the footpaths. The carved meeting house, Tamatekapua, is not open to the public; enjoy it from outside. St Faith’s Church (1914) has Māori carving and woven panels inside.
Read our guideKuirau Park
Free geothermal park by the city centre, with walkways past mud pools and boiling lakes and a Saturday morning market. Stick to the tracks.
Read our guideGovernment Gardens and the Bath House
Historic gardens around the Bath House, home of Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa. The museum is closed for earthquake strengthening, with work expected to finish between 2027 and 2028.
Read our guideHinehopu’s / Hongi’s Track
Forest track between Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoehu, named for the chieftainess Hinehopu (about 1620) and for the Ngāpuhi leader Hongi, who carried his waka through here in 1823 to raid Mokoia Island.
Read our guideŌkere Falls Track
Short bush walk to a lookout by Hinemoa’s Steps over the Kaituna River. The Tutea Falls platform is closed.
Read our guideJoin in
Paddle a waka ama
Waka Ama Aotearoa NZ lists four Rotorua clubs: Hei Matau Paddlers, Ruamata Waka Ama Club, Te Au Rere Waka Ama Club and Wahine O Te Wai Waka Ama Club.
Club list and contactsMatariki in Rotorua
Cultural events, community gatherings and the annual Matariki Drone Show for the Māori New Year.
RotoruaNZ Matariki guideLearn te reo Māori
Beginner classes in Rotorua with no fees at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and no tuition fees at Toi Ohomai.
See the classesMāori events through the year
Cultural performances
Whakarewarewa holds a cultural performance every day; Te Puia’s evening experience has dinner sittings at 5.30pm and 7.15pm.
Te Pā Tū summer and winter seasons
Tū Te Rā, the summer harvest celebration, and Tū Te Ihi, the winter Matariki celebration.
Matariki in Rotorua
A programme of cultural events, community gatherings and the annual Matariki Drone Show for te tau hou Māori, the Māori New Year.
Visiting a marae in Rotorua
Marae are the gathering places of hapū and iwi, and there are many around the Rotorua lakes. They are not visitor attractions: you visit a marae when you’re invited, or by arrangement with the marae, often with a group, a school or an event. Each marae has its own kawa (protocol), and the best advice is to ask your hosts what they expect. This is how a welcome usually goes:
- Arrive and waitArrive early and wait at the gate. Don’t walk on until you’re called.
- KarangaA woman from the hosts calls you on, and a woman from your group answers. Walk on together as the calling continues.
- Whaikōrero and waiataSpeeches from hosts and visitors, each followed by a song. On Te Arawa marae the speakers alternate, and a host speaks last.
- KohaA gift, usually money in an envelope, laid down by your last speaker.
- Hongi and harirūShake hands and press noses with the hosts.
- KaiThe shared meal lifts the tapu of the welcome. Wait for the karakia (blessing) before eating.
Iwi of Rotorua
Rotorua is in the rohe of Te Arawa. Over time the descendants of Rangitihi formed three major kin groups around the lakes: Ngāti Pikiao, Tūhourangi and Ngāti Whakaue. Te Kāhui Māngai lists 15 iwi with interests in the Rotorua Lakes district.
Ngāti Whakaue
Settled Ōhinemutu on the shore of Lake Rotorua, and gifted the land on which the city of Rotorua was built.
Ngāti Whakaue websiteTūhourangi
Whakarewarewa is the home of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, who have shared their way of life with visitors for over two hundred years.
Tūhourangi Tribal AuthorityNgāti Pikiao
Based at the eastern end of Lake Rotoiti and around lakes Rotoehu and Rotomā.
All 15 iwi on Te Kāhui MāngaiTe Arawa Lakes Trust
Represents Te Arawa hapū and whānau for the 14 Te Arawa lakes under the 2006 lakes settlement.
Te Arawa Lakes TrustTe Tatau o Te Arawa
Represents Te Arawa in its partnership with Rotorua Lakes Council, set up in 2015.
Te Tatau o Te ArawaMāori history and stories
Māori History in Rotorua
Te Arawa, the lakes, the 1886 Tarawera eruption and the places that tell the story.
Read the historyŌhinemutu
The lakeside village of Ngāti Whakaue, its meeting house and St Faith’s Church.
Read itLearning te reo Māori in Rotorua
Free and low-cost te reo Māori classes for adults. Check each provider for the latest dates.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Te Kahupapa o te Reo for beginners and further levels, many with no fees. See the campus page for class times and start dates.
Find out moreToi Ohomai
Te Pōkaitahi Reo (Reo Rua) Level 2 for beginners, Wednesday or Thursday evenings. No tuition fees for domestic students. Starts 22 February 2027, and again 19 July.
Find out moreKōhanga reo
Kōhanga reo are Māori-language early learning centres. There are 19 in the Rotorua district. Find one on the Kōhanga Reo National Trust map.
- Te Rangimārie Kōhanga Reo ki Rotorua (Fordlands)
- Te Kōhanga Reo ki Aorangi (Pukehangi)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Koutu
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Pipiwharauroa (Utuhina)
- Te Kōhanga Reo ki Pukeroa Ōruawhata
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Rongopai (Selwyn Heights)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Tō Te Rā (Mangakakahi)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Tārewa Pounamu
- Te Kōhanga Reo ki Whakarewarewa
- Te Kōhanga Reo ki Ōhau
- Te Kōhanga Reo ki Rotokawa
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Hikuwai
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngongotahā
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Reporoa
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Tarimano
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Mōkai-a-Koko
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Horohoro
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Ariki
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Matawera
Kura: schools that teach in te reo Māori
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu
Kura kaupapa Māori, Years 1 to 15.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ruamata
Kura kaupapa Māori, Years 1 to 15.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hurungaterangi
Kura kaupapa Māori, Years 1 to 15.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Rotoiti
Kura kaupapa Māori, Years 1 to 8.
Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai
Kura ā iwi, Years 1 to 15.
Māori health and community services
Te Arawa Whānau Ora
A collective of whānau ora providers in the Te Arawa area, with services for pēpi and tamariki, rangatahi, adults and kaumātua.
Find out moreKorowai Aroha
Kaupapa Māori health provider: medical clinic, home-based support, diabetes and respiratory services, and mirimiri.
Find out moreTe Rūnanga o Ngāti Pikiao
Kaupapa Māori healthcare including GP services, mental health support, Whānau Ora and social services.
Find out moreMāori Land Court
Open weekdays 10am to 4pm, no appointment needed. Search Māori land records free online through Pātaka Whenua, with no login needed.
How to search Pātaka WhenuaAbout this page
Explore Rotorua is an independent local guide. This page draws on Te Ara, Te Kāhui Māngai, the iwi’s own websites, Rotorua Lakes Council, RotoruaNZ, DOC, the Ministry of Education and the Māori Land Court. Spotted something to add or correct? Let us know.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Rotorua mean in Māori?
Rotorua is short for Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, the large lake of Kahumatamomoe, discovered second. The explorer Īhenga named it to honour his uncle Kahumatamomoe.
How do you say Rotorua?
Four syllables, ro-to-ru-a, with short, even vowels. Roto means lake.
What is the main iwi in Rotorua?
Rotorua is in the rohe of Te Arawa. Ngāti Whakaue settled Ōhinemutu and gifted the land the city was built on, and Whakarewarewa is the home of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao. Te Kāhui Māngai lists 15 iwi with interests in the Rotorua Lakes district.
Are Whakarewarewa and Te Puia the same?
No. They are separate in the same geothermal valley. Te Puia, on Hemo Road, is home to Pōhutu Geyser and the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. Whakarewarewa – The Living Māori Village, on Tryon Street, is the home of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, and its trails do not go to Pōhutu.
Who owns Te Puia?
Te Puia is iwi owned. Ownership was transferred from the Crown under the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Vesting Act 2020 and is held for Wāhiao Tūhourangi o Whakarewarewa, Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust and Ngāti Whakaue hapū.
Is Mitai Māori Village still open?
Yes. Mitai’s website takes bookings for its evening hāngī dinner and show, its lunch show and its village experience.
Can you just walk onto a marae?
No. You are welcomed onto a marae by invitation or arrangement. At Ōhinemutu you can walk through the village, but view the meeting house Tamatekapua from outside only.
Where can I see Māori culture in Rotorua for free?
Walk through Ōhinemutu and see St Faith’s Church, visit Kuirau Park, or take the Hinehopu’s Track and Ōkere Falls walks. The Māori villages and guided experiences are ticketed.
Where can I learn te reo Māori in Rotorua?
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s Waiwhero campus on Depot Street runs beginner classes with no fees, and Toi Ohomai’s Mokoia campus has evening classes with no tuition fees for domestic students.