Visit to Tamaki Maori village

A welcoming challenge

Uncovering the fire pit

Our last night in Rotorua we visited a Maori village named Tamaki for an introduction to their heritage and a hongi meal.  We rode there by coach.  When we got there we were met by various warriors in costume doing their welcoming dances/challenges.  After that we went to various village locations where they  talked to us about their traditions and asked for volunteers to try them out.  Then we went to their village meeting house where they performed songs and dances.  When that ended they took us to the eating lodge for their roasted meats and vegetables along with a buffet of several other items, drinks, and desserts.  I enjoyed their lamb and tried a mussel and Greta tried their fish.  We both had their roasted kamura potatoes.  For dessert we tried Kiwi pavlova, a meringue with kiwis and passion fruit.  It was all very good!