Rotorua is known for two things: volcanoes and Maori culture. A decent-sized city, it’s main attractions are not shops but rather hot springs, geysers, and Maori villages. I arrived in Rotorua at 4:30 in the afternoon from Matamata. After checking into my hostel, I immediately got ready for my night at the Mitai Maori Village.
This village is run by the Maori tribe called Mitai- just one of many throughout New Zealand. When we arrived, we were immediately assigned tables for dinner. I was at a table with an old man from Australia traveling “bucket-list” style, a young french and Chilean couple, a middle-aged woman from Australia, and a pair of Italian newlyweds. Once everyone arrived we were welcomed by our hosts and were taken to the hongi. A hangi is a cooking pit used in Polynesian Cultures. A hole was dug and filled with a layer of hot coals and wood. The food is then placed over the coals in the pit and covered with layers of woven fibers and leaves. The food is then left alone for four to five hours to steam cook underground. As I mentioned before, the food in New Zealand today is very much different from 500 years ago; they were cooking lamb, chicken, and vegetables in the hangi for my dinner instead of human flesh. However, the sweet potatoes were being prepared for my dinner and they are native to New Zealand. As that food was finishing up cooking and being prepared, the group was lead to the tribe’s grove. The grove was centered around a spring which is considered tapu (sacred) to the tribe. While we were there we were presented with traditional rowing of a war canoe. Afterward, we went to an outdoor theater for a Maori performance. The setting was created like a traditional Maori village and all of the performers were garbed in traditional attire. The presentation was pretty nice. They performed a haka, which is a welcoming dance meant to intimidate but also impress the visitors. This included a lot of eye-bulging and tongue wagging. Then they showed us aspects of Maori culture such as dancing and music. They also talked about Maori weapons like the club-like mere and the disemboweling taiha. Throughout the performance, the biggest take away that they stressed was that they can enjoy the comforts of modern life while preserving their own culture. After the show, we sat down for our buffet dinner. An hour later, our hosts then took us along a wooden trail. Along the way, we were told about the various trees and we were even able to observe glowworms- native only to Australia and New Zealand. They were nice, but I wasn’t too impressed, I would be seeing WAY more of them this trip. After about a half-hour walk, they took us to the exits and drove us home, thus ending my experience at the cultural village.
The next morning I got up and drove to Whakarewarewa. Whakarewarewa is another Maori village in Rotorua. It is one of the most popular villages out of many in the city for two reasons. The first is that it is surrounded by numerous hot springs and geysers which are used in everyday life. Just like everywhere else in the city, you cannot escape the distinct smell of sulfur wherever you go. The second reason is that it is a living village- meaning that people of the tribe still live and continue with their everyday life within the village. I took a tour of the village and was taught more about Maori culture and the hot springs. Our guide even told us stories of how she and her friends would bathe in the 90 degree Celsius springs. They took us on their tour for about 90 minutes highlighting everyday life in the village, passing along many of the geysers and springs. Afterward, I walked on some trails overlooking lakes and passing through boiling mud pools that were local and close to the village. After a total of two and a half hours at the village, I left. I was planning on leaving Rotorua that afternoon but before I left I was determined to find a book on Maoris in the city that is famous for its rich Maori culture. So I went to all of the bookshops in town before arriving at McLeod’s Booksellers (due to the New Zealand accent, I wasn’t actually able to find this place originally). In the bookshop, I found a book called “Behind the Tattoo Face.” An incredible book about pre-colonial Maori life. After my purchase, I walked down the street to a sign that said this restaurant that served southern fried chicken. Let me tell you, ho excited I was, but alas, it was only average. Upon finishing my meal, I walked to the street where I parked my car and drove to Taupo.
Whakarewarewa 
Boiling mud pools 
Picturesque New Zealand