Rotorua Day Tours

Mauri (life essence or life force) is the essence of life, it lives in people, animals, water and all of nature. In our Māori culture we have a saying ‘Mauri ki te Mauri’ – ‘life force to life force’. Whether meeting people for the first time, or greeting a great tree in a forest, there is always a special exchange of life force occurring. Western science would describe this exchange of life force as a symbiotic relationship that, for example, exists between trees and humans. Humans breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, while trees breathe in carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Our Indigenous knowledge says ‘Mauri ki te Mauri’, ‘life force to life force’, we live because we exist together.

When we hongi (press noses) to great people our ‘mauri’ or life essence recognises our connection to each other through our breath and spirit. It is through our mauri that we recognise our connection to all the realms of nature. Mauri-ora is that special feeling of wellbeing and the understanding that we are all somehow inter-connected through the great web of life. I hope that you will join me as we explore Mauri-ora on our day tour together.

E hoa ma, ina te ora o te tangata.
My friends, this special feeling we share is the essence of life

It is a great honour to guide visitors around Rotorua, a unique geothermal area full of rich Māori culture past and present. Papatuanuku (mother earth) is very active here with displays of fumaroles, geysers and hot bubbling mud.

On our day tour we begin our day at one of my favorite places; our ancestral village, steeped in history ?dating back to our famous ancestor Tama Te Kapua who navigated our Te Arawa waka (canoe) here to New Zealand from Hawaiki (central Polynesia) in the twelth century. My family has a long connection with the historic Māori church perched on the edge of Lake Rotorua.

The next part of our hikoi (journey) takes us into a beautiful forest track where I can show you plants used for Māori medicines and cooking. We take a break to enjoy lunch which is a special meal I have created that is flavoured with our native herbs and spices, some of which you will have seen on our walk. After lunch, its time to relax…

Visitors from around the world have been coming to Rotorua for hundreds of years to bathe in the hot geothermal springs well known for their therapeutic healing properties. To end our day together, you will experience this sacred hot water as we relax and soak.

Nau mai haere mai, I welcome you to join me as we journey for a day together. Tihei Mauri-ora, until we meet, I wish good health and great joy to you and your loved ones.
Mauri-Ora