Heading down to Rotorua we stayed next to the lake, waiting to be collected by the tour promising us an evening filled with Maori experiences.
The Tamaki Experience bus collected us and the driver greeted us in 48 different languages before settling on the Maori word for welcome 'Kia Ora'.
We were briefed on Maori etiquette, traditions and beliefs before being taken to a site built as a Maori village would have been prior to European settlement. As the visiting 'tribe', the host chief performed a war dance to intimidate us before letting us into the village. Seeing the chief dance was an amazing sight in the context of the atmosphere and Maori cultures but anywhere else then it would have been slightly amusing to see this big guy dressed in black underpants and a grass skirt carry out a series of very camp actions with a long spear! Once we had been 'accepted' as a visiting tribe we were welcomed into their village and explored the homes of the Maori families as we watched actors in costume play some traditional games infront of big open fires.
We were then treated to the most incredible show of singing, dancing and recital which left us breathless at such spirituality and grace. We didn't want it to end until we started tucking into the hangi feast they had prepared for us in traditional Maori style and then all we could focus on was the gorgeous food. Cooked underground by steam, we had sumptuous seafood, tender lamb, chicken falling off the bone and vegetables cooked to perfection. Lip smackingly gorgeous! The night ended with all the coach drivers and even some of the chefs performing the Haka - complete with tongues and eyes bulging. We could see why the All Blacks are such a force to be reckoned with - we were reduced to a shivering heap after seeing all those big men descending on us with their tongues out!
Our Maori driver had us all in fits on the way back, taking the micky out of the nationalities on board and even making us sing 'The Wheels on the Bus' whilst he drove round a roundabout 8 times. One of the best nights out we have had so far on our travels and not something to miss in Rotorua - the Maori stronghold of New Zealand.
The next day, Steve had a tattoo - when in Rome etc, etc and it seemed quite fitting in the land of heavily tattooed Maori warriors. Beth didn't quite have the guts but she is quietly working on it so watch this space...
We didn't leave Rotarua until 3pm and, with Steve nursing his tattoo and with Beth berating herself for her lack of courage, we set off on our 300km journey to East Cape.
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