Tiffany Does New Zealand — Part 2
Māori Culture and a Trip to the Shire
I’m back home and writing this from my office in Queens. (Y’all life has been “life”ing since we got back from New Zealand — But I’ll get to that later). I promise, I’m going to recap this entire trip, but it might be summer before I’m done. It will be worth it, I promise.
Day 1: Waitomo, Te Puia, Te Pa Tu
This was a really fun, jam-packed couple of days. We started out by getting picked up at our hotel in Auckland and taken to Rotorua for the night with several stops along the way. First up was the Glowworm Caves in Waitomo. This was so educational, because we got to learn about how the caves were formed. We saw how glowworms feed, and then we were taken on a little boat cruise where we got to see them in action in their natural habitat. (In order for this to be the most impactful, you have to be quiet and still, so no sudden movements and no photography. So, I didn’t really get any good pictures in the caves themselves. You’ll just have to take my word for it and enjoy this photo heading out of the caves.
From there, we spent the afternoon in Te Puia, a geothermal park and Māori cultural center. We had a delicious buffet lunch that included traditional New Zealand fare. Then, we visited the Kiwi Conservation Centre where we learned about the history of the kiwi (a ratite native to New Zealand), some of the threats to their habitat, and the steps that are being taken to help with species conservation efforts. And we even got to see a live kiwi in action in the exhibit. (Kiwis are nocturnal and sensitive to light and noise. So, again, no photos of the kiwi itself — just this cool exhibit photo)
After the kiwi exhibit, we got to explore the geothermal geysers. It was incredible to be able to see and experience this unique natural wonder.
One note: The entire complex smells strongly of sulfur. This is the case for a large portion of downtown Rotorua, as well. But, it is well worth it (if you ask me, which I assume you are since you’re reading my blog).
If a restaurant, a conservation center, and a hotbed of geothermal activity weren’t enough, Te Puia also houses The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute where members of the Māori community can come and learn about the traditional art trades of weaving, wood carving, and stone and bone carving.
After our extremely busy day, we were taken to our hotel in downtown Rotorua for a couple hours of down time ahead of heading out for our evening activity — learning more about Māori culture at Te Pa Tu.
Māori tribe members taught us a variety of dances and games, as well as the haka, a ceremonial dance and chant. We were also given canapés of traditional Moari cuisine (like venison tartar and fry bread).
Then, we got to see what we learned in practice during a full performance of Māori song and dance.
Finally, we rounded out the night with a dinner full of Māori cuisine, including hāngī, a method of cooking which involves heated rocks in a cooking pit.
We were taken back to our hotel in Rotorua to get some rest and get ready for the next day.
DAY 2: Hobbiton
We spent the morning grabbing breakfast and shopping in downtown Rotorua. We were picked up after lunch and taken to Hobbiton.
(Everybody who heard that we were going to New Zealand asked if we were going to Hobbiton. If you’ve ever met my husband, you would know that there is absolutely no way that we would have gone all the way to New Zealand without visiting Hobbiton)
Hobbiton is where the Lord of the Rings triology and the Peter Jackson Hobbit movies were filmed. After The Hobbit, the owner of this farm land turned the area into an extremely popular tourist attraction (which is also still a fully functional working farm).
I’m not going to say too much here. I’ll just post some of my favorite photos from the day.
After Hobbiton, we were taken back to our hotel in Auckland to enjoy the rest of our time in New Zealand.
Tiff’s note: I used Thrifty Tours to plan these two days. If you’re interested in exploring New Zealand without having to drive yourself around, I highly recommend Thrifty (this isn’t sponsored; I just had a great experience with them.)
