ニュージーランド博物館テパパトンガレワ：マオリハイライトツアー

Found on the waterfront, Te Papa is one of the must visit places in Wellington. International visitors will have to pay to enter and the museum takes cash/card. The Museum has 4 floors which house various exhibits from the Māori to local flora and fauna. We booked a guided tour to better understand the layout and exhibits. Our guide was Cici and she was brilliant. The tour took us from the entrance to the museum up to see an artistic wharanui used in Māori ceremonies and then to learn about the whaitungi or tetiriti (treaty). The tour overran but it didn’t matter as we were given more information about exhibits that we were interested in like the Māori people, their history and customs. We would really recommend visitors take the tour for a good overview of the museum as it can be a little overwhelming with reading many different information boards. Other items of interest within Te Papa include the baby giant squid which is the only complete one in the world and copies of tetiriti which are controversial still because they were written overnight and badly translated by the British which has negatively impacted the Maori. Also worth visiting is the poignant exhibit on Gallipoli with bigatures created by the local Weta Workshop. Learn about what Gallipoli was about and how it impacted on kiwi’s. For a great time, visit Te Papa

This is a fantastic museum- and free. There is a special dinosaur exhibit that was expensive - so I did not enter that part. All exhibits had signs in English and Maori and good explanations. My favorite was the earthquake house which simulates a 4.6 earthquake. There was a 10 minute wait, and only 8 people can fit in at once, so make sure you have time. Our tour group only had 1.5 hours, so its not enough time to see everything. I did stop by the ground floor cafe - it takes a very long time in line and to order and get your food. i had fries - they were about $5USD and a huge quantity and hot. This is definitely a museum worth stopping by.

+3

Loved the museum, and this tour. Angela is an amazing ambassador for her heritage, and passing on some knowledge for us to be more aware of the Māori history.

Led by passionate guides, the tour delved deep into the stories and traditions of the Māori people. From the powerful haka demonstration to the intricacies of traditional wood carving, every moment was a connection to Aotearoa's rich heritage. The interactive sessions, where we tried our hand at weaving and learned about the significance of taonga (treasures), made the experience both educational and hands-on. It's not just a tour; it's a heartfelt journey into the heart of Māori culture. If you're at Te Papa and want a meaningful encounter with New Zealand's indigenous roots, the Mana Māori Tour is an absolute must.

Not really much Maori culture and life to see. Would have liked to see and meet more people and watch when they work, etc.

Defiantly a place to visit, I had a great time and I was exposed to Maori culture and culture of Pacific People. There is an exhibition of European Pilgrims art and furniture, there you could see some Greek Orthodox Icons.

+3

Very very informative tour. Highly recommend if you are in Wellington. Our guide was very enthusiastic about sharing his culture with visitors from all around the world.

Excellent guide . Beautiful displays to develop an appreciation of Maori history , expertise and culture

A must visit if in Wellington. I wish we had more time. Exhibits are nice, modern, interactive. Great experience for kids. Traveling from overseas, I particularly enjoyed the Māori exhibits on the top floor.

My daughter and I really enjoyed our Mana Maori tour. Being Maori and educated I knew quite a bit but was a good opportunity for my daughter to learn from a professional not just her mama. The tour itself covered many areas of the museum which was great. I loved how the guide was honest and up to date with new understandings as the light gets brighter so to speak. That was refreshing not being stuck with old information, and nice to see others can get an accurate account of Polynesians that would become known as Maori. Would absolutely recommend otherwise walking around on your own you may miss they whole understanding of things.