Tours

Full Day – Maori Art and Artefacts Tour

This tour runs as required - advanced booking essential.
Duration 10am – 4pm including a meal; Maximum 15 people
Price:
$595 for 1 person
$395 for 2 to 5 people
$295 for 6 to 15 people

This is a really in-depth and hands on experience taking you through the journey and history of traditional Maori tool-making and artistry - from finding the right tree and natural materials to making your own taonga (treasure) using traditional tools you have helped to construct. We also take you through to the present day as participants are given the opportunity to be part of our current public sculpture and town beautification project.

Tour includes:-

Pick up from your accommodation (if within Bay of Islands)
Meals including lunch and snacksAn introductory talk on Maori stone technology from a geological viewpoint
A visit to a local forest/bush area to look at the various types of wood, sourcing the right materials and how we learnt the origins of Maori stone tool making through artefacts.
Learning about the spiritual (esoteric) practical and holistic (medicinal) uses of native plants. Collecting flax to make cordage
A visit to a local pa site to show the strategic nature of how and why a pa site was built
An in-depth and hands-on construction of making a stone adze including the grinding of stone and lashing with cordage made from flax
A talk on the methods and techniques Maori used to hunt the ocean
A practical and hands-on demonstration of how to make a chert drill tip
Use this traditional Maori drill to make your own fish hook necklace (made from wood or bone)

Other Tour Ideas

We have a wealth of knowledge on other areas of Maori Material Culture that we can use to develop a tour. Other subjects include:-

Maori agricultural practices and techniques - working in harmony with nature
A more in-depth look at Maori Fishing techniques including a fishing trip using traditional fishing tools that you have helped to make