Road Trip - Whakarewarewa

Welcome to Whakarewarewa!

(I'm looking at the sign and I still don't know if I spelt that right)

Here is a village currently residing 25 families with around a total of 40 villagers, as one of the last Living Maori Villages of New Zealand. The full name of this village is the super long 37-letter word in red. Fun fact: the longest village's name is 83 letters long...I thought Schaumburg was hard to spell without singing...yikes!

We signed up for an hour tour, a half hour performance, followed by a delicious Māori meal. Arriving a half hour early, we were able to explore the ins and outs of the village from the cemeteries kept above ground (due to the geothermal temperatures) to the 3 active geysers. Traveling Tip #22: Arrive early so you can confirm everything and do a little exploring of your own.

Before 8:30, when the village opens to guests, and after 5, when it's closed to the public, the locals will bathe in the geothermal baths heat up right from the ground...talk about saving money on the power bill. According to the guide, he remembers saving 60-70% of the power bill when he lived in the village. However, with high school being on the other side of town, he had to move to his mother's house during the week, while hanging out with his cousins at his aunt's back in the village on the weekends.

He also explained the villagers use these kitchen boxes to heat almost everything up, in their "Māori microwave." Pudding, chicken, and other dishes would sit in these 'ovens' for about a few minutes before being completely cooked through...similar to a fast-working slow-cooker. However, there is also the boiling hot spring (literally, we saw this pool-sized spring bubbling) the villagers use to cook vegetables and other easy foods.

Aside from the everyday living, here are a few more facts about the geothermal land:

After the tour, we we in for quite a show.

These are 2 of the 6 dancers from the cultural performance. Here is a description explaining the show:

"Each performance includes Waiata (songs) of our history, Patere (rhythmic chants), stick games, poi dancing, and the world-famous HAKA war challenge"

The staple of their world-famous haka is stricking their tongues out as far as possible with eyes bulging open. As you can tell, I was quite the natural.

Briefly after, our group enjoyed some Hangi with a delicious pudding and cake-like fruit dish. I must say, considering I couldn't try salad until college because the textures were overwhelming, trying new foods has become one of my best skills.

And then, as our weekend road trip had come to an end, we decided to head out for our long drive (3 hour trip) back home to Northshore Auckland. These beautiful pieces of art bid us farewell as we left the village and the Māori culture. Traveling Tip #23: It is OK to rely on a tour (even if slightly pricey) because it is inclusive and professionals know what the general public will enjoy after years of tourism. Sometimes it's okay to trust the locals!