In the morning we visit Te Puia Springs, a Māori-owned enterprise in Rotorua. According to tribal history, the Whakarewarewa Valley where the springs are located was the place where the Goddesses of fire, Te Pupu and Te Hoata, emerged from the earth’s core.
The main attraction are a set of hot springs, geysers and mud pools. The visiting experience is rounded off with an introduction to Māori mythology. Since this is an oral culture, the relevant elements are introduced through a set of screens which display drawings of the wooden carvings that are found in the ancestral houses; the drawings then disappear to reveal short movies about the story behind each carving.
In the afternoon we visit the Polynesian Spas and then are off to Taiwere Marae for another Pōwhiri ceremony and dinner. The Pōwhiri is hosted by Napi Waaka, cultural advisor to the Wānanga and Minister of Religion who soon becomes our friend and mentor. Napi presents ILI with a beautifully crafted "talking stick".
Below, the entrance to Te Puia Springs features Māori design and content.
Hot springs, mud pools and a rich smell of sulphur.
Jerry in conversation with Bentham; Patricia and Richard after a succesful shopping adventure at the store.
Left: Jerry in conversation with Jim McTamney, TWOA manager for the Waiariki region
Below: Toby Curtis, chairman of the Te Arawa Lakes trust, and Toby Curtis with Napi Waka
Patricia in conversation with Neville King
Left: A miniature "whare tipuna" decorates the buffet
Right: Jerry with the talking stick, flanked by our hosts
Joel speaking on behalf of ILI on this night
