Discover Whakarewarewa Village & Geothermal Attraction
1. The Geothermal Attraction
2. Whakarewarewa: Traditions & Daily Practices
3. How to Explore Whakarewarewa Village
We already have high expectations when greeted with a kia ora at the entrance to the Māori village Whakarewarewa in Rotorua. Māori villages and communities continue to thrive in New Zealand, continually building on their indigenous heritage. One of these living communities is Whakarewarewa.
Whakarewarewa is a living Māori village where the inhabitants, the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, are descendants of the Polynesian people who arrived in New Zealand about a thousand years ago.
Where to Stay at Rotorua
The tribe has settled here in Whakarewarewa, where daily life revolves around the geothermal resources. The underground hot water and geothermal energy are used for everything — from cooking and bathing to heating homes. This sustainable way of living, harnessing the natural environment, has been practised since the tribe first made Rotorua their home.
Photo: Travel In Culture
New Zealand lies within the Polynesian Triangle — a vast area of the Pacific Ocean defined by three iconic destinations: New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island. Read about the other two: Hawaiian Culture & Oahu Itinerary and Discover Hanga Roa in Easter Island
1. The Geothermal Attraction
Rotorua is one of the unique geothermal areas in the world, with trails along striking natural wonders. One of these is the world-famous Pōhutu Geyser, which spurts up to twenty times per day — each time reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) into the air. It’s just one of the signs of the thermal activity beneath our feet here in Rotorua.
From the Pōhutu Geyser lookout in the village, we are able to witness not just one but three geysers: the mighty Pōhutu, the Prince of Wales Feathers Geyser, and the nearby Kereru Geyser. Their eruptions occur around a small crystal-blue lake, known as ‘The Blueys’.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Our Māori representative and guide lets us know that there used to be around 30 geysers in the area, but this changes constantly. Remarkably, some years ago, the number dropped to just two — but now there are three again!
The area seethes with thermal activity: steaming lakes, thermal pools, steam vents, and fascinating bubbling mud pools — all boiling with different degrees depending on the material. We can catch a glimpse of these spectacular and wondrous sites by following the established nature trails around the area.
2. Whakarewarewa Village: Traditions & Daily Practices
Our guide in Whakarewarewa is a local man of indigenous heritage. He gives us a brief introduction, explaining a few things about their culture, language, and daily life in the Whakarewarewa village.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Before showing us around, he teaches us a few phrases in the Māori language, te reo — including the well-known and widely heard greeting kia ora. While kia ora is commonly used as ‘hello’ today, it carries a broader meaning. Over the last century, it became a general expression of welcome, but originally, it was a phrase used to offer good wishes at the end of a conversation or event. In the native language, kia means ‘to be’ and ora means ‘health’ or ‘life’.
Alongside kia ora, we pick up several other Māori phrases and terms that help us connect with Whakarewarewa. He enthusiastically encourages us to repeat them — to make sure they stick! Some of the words are impressively long (the longest in te reo has 84 letters!), but locals often use abbreviations like Whaka for Whakarewarewa.
Whakarewarewa features several intricately carved Māori sculptures | Photo: Travel In Culture
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Our guide now takes us through the village, explaining the various locations and Māori customs.
In Whakarewarewa, between 18 and 25 families live in the village houses. Today, alongside traditional utensils and techniques, they also use modern amenities. For instance, cars are used within the village, and there is a school for the children.
We pass the funeral areas, including the Māori cemetery. The village has two churches: a Catholic church, which is the original one, and an Anglican church. A significant eruption occurred in 1850, destroying what was then one of Rotorua’s wonders — the stunning Pink and White Terraces. This event led to the Anglican church being relocated to the site here. Today, both churches are in use in the village, alongside the Meeting House, which serves as a venue for assemblies, weddings, and funerals.
The Meeting House in Whakarewarewa | Photo: Travel In Culture
Our Māori guide now shows us where the traditional hāngi meal is prepared in a steam box. When he was a child, one of his daily tasks was to place a couple of chickens in the steam box on his way to school. They would then slowly cook over the thermal heat throughout the day — and by the time he returned home, they were ready for the family’s dinner!
Visitors can also sample a corn cob boiled in one of the geothermal pools — known as the kitchen pool. This is where they cook corn, other vegetables, and seafood. He dips a bag of corn into the steaming water for just about a minute — and they’re ready to eat! The pool reaches temperatures of up to 180 °C (over 350 °F), and it’s at least 15 metres (50 ft) deep. They once tried to measure the depth, but the metal rope nearly melted!
As a fun detail, he tells us that lobsters take 4 minutes to cook in the pool, while mussels are ready in just 20 seconds.
Our guide pulls the corn out of the kitchen pool | Photo: Travel In Culture
Our Māori companion also explains that the activity in the pool can change dramatically. For instance, during the 2001 eruption of Italy’s Mount Etna — on the other side of the world — the water level in their own cooking pool suddenly dropped by several metres. The geothermal connection took everyone by surprise!
In addition to the kitchen pool and the steam box, Māori families now also have regular kitchens inside their homes — blending traditional methods with modern lifestyles.
We also get an introduction to other Māori traditions such as weaving, carving, and tattooing. Tattoos play an important role in their society, and the body art is rich in symbolism.
The bath at Whakarewarewa | Photo: Travel In Culture
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The bathing ritual is also significant. One of the pools at the site is the communal bath. There are a couple of pools with different temperatures. The hottest pool is 55 degrees centigrade (131 degrees Fahrenheit), but, for instance, the children’s bath is less hot. Grooves in the stone floor regulate the temperature in the adjacent pool. Our guide now encourages everyone to touch the water. Due to minerals, it is very soft and feels like silk on the skin!
There are specific bath hours outside the visitor hours, so the families can have their daily bath undisturbed.
Whakarewarewa map | Photo: Travel In Culture
3. How to Explore Whakarewarewa Village
To visit Whakarewarewa (or another Māori community), you can take a tour where you visit the local village and learn about its culture and traditions. A visit to Whakarewarewa includes, in addition to the language lesson and the cultural insight provided in the guided tour of the village, the opportunity to take a self-guided walk on the grounds following the trails. Here, you can study all the boiling mud pools, other geothermal pools, and unpredictable geysers.
What makes the experience unique is that you can boardwalk through the steam mist surrounding some of the hot pools. Of course, it is essential not to leave the trails since the ground outside can be both boiling and toxic!
Photo: Travel In Culture
On your tour, you will also have the chance to attend a passionate dance performance where the traditional performing art, the kappa haka, is demonstrated (haka means dance). It is a fascinating show where both men and women perform, dance, and sing in traditional style. This is storytelling at its best — the talented dancers interpret and express some of their legends and war dances with high intensity! Note that the dancers use dilated pupils and tongues to scare the enemy!
At the same time, you will see them play traditional instruments during the performance — and you will have time to study the different tattoos on their bodies! The performance varies in intensity and emotion — you will hear loud shouts, screams, and soft, captivating singing.
Finally, you can also, in addition to the corn cobs, try a genuine Hāngi meal — cooked in the steam box!
As the guide will probably explain, Māori society today relies heavily on tourism. There is a private part of the village where people live and carry on as they always have — and a tourist/educational area to ensure income. Besides this income, the Māori community receives some subsidies as the village holds cultural and educational value.
Today, visitors play a big part in preserving the village and keeping Māori history, legends, and traditions alive.
Kia ora, Whakarewarewa!
Visit the geothermal village | Photo: Travel In Culture
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Visit Whakarewarewa
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Visit Whakarewarewa – the living Maori village
