We are located in Rotorua NZ.

Be welcomed into the Māori world under the guidance of our Ngāti Whakaue ancestors at the Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa.

Our first stop takes us to a Māori reservation.  Your guide will begin to tell you about our Sky Father and Earth Mother and the connection Māori has with nature.  Here you will also learn about some flora and fauna that has spiritual and medicinal purposes.

A short stroll down the road will take us to a traditional Māori village.  Learn how the stories of old have been recorded in the carved meeting house and the importance of genealogy or family tree.  Visit the site of New Zealand’s own love story, Hinemoa & Tūtānekai.

Our next stop is the bastion of Māori culture, our spiritual meeting grounds, a Marae.  The marae holds great significance for the Māori people as it is a place of gathering, sharing knowledge and farewelling our loved ones.  You will receive a warm welcome inside the meeting house and experience Māori protocols first-hand.  Learn about the Māori world in a traditional setting.

We finish off our time together with a closing prayer at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa.

MEETING POINT

• Our meeting point is at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa at 9am
• Please meet out the front of the Spa 
• You are welcome to leave your car in the parking area for the duration of the tour

WHAT TO BRING

• Water bottle & camera

• Walking shoes or sandals
• Rain/sun protection

We are located in Rotorua NZ.

Be welcomed into the Māori world under the guidance of our Ngāti Whakaue ancestors at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa.

Our first stop takes us to a Māori reservation.  Your guide will begin to tell you about our Sky Father and Earth Mother and the connection Māori has with nature.  Here you will also learn about some flora and fauna that has spiritual and medicinal purposes.

A short stroll down the road will take us to a traditional Māori village.  Learn how the stories of old have been recorded in the carved meeting house and the importance of genealogy or family
tree.  Visit the site of New Zealand’s own love story, Hinemoa & Tūtānekai.

Our next stop is the bastion of Māori culture, our spiritual meeting grounds, a Marae.  The marae holds great significance for the Māori people as it is a place of gathering, sharing knowledge and farewelling our loved ones.  You will receive a warm welcome inside the meeting house and experience Māori protocols first-hand.  Learn about the Māori world in a traditional setting.

Lunch is held in the Café at Te Whakarewarewa Living Māori Village and includes a Hangi Pie Meal & chilled water.  The meat and vegetables from the pie are cooked from geothermal steam.

After lunch, your guide will take you on a private guided tour throughout the Village.  Listen to your guide share the story of the Pink and White Terraces, known as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ and how the volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 shaped the Māori people of Tuhourangi/Ngāti Wahiao who live in the Village.  Discover a way of life nestled amongst a geothermal valley and experience steam vents, bubbling hot pools and Pōhutu Geyser, the largest geyser in the southern hemisphere!

We finish off our time together with a closing prayer at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa.

MEETING POINT

• Our meeting point is at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa at 9am
• Please meet out the front of the Spa
• You are welcome to leave your car in the parking area for the duration of the tour

• Water bottle & camera
• Walking shoes or sandals
• Rain/sun protection

We are located in Rotorua NZ.

Experience Pepeha Journeys 5hr Māori World Tour and then experience a seamless flow into the beautiful Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa for a 2hr Restorative Journey!

The restorative journey is unique in the world.  This multi-sensory wellness experience blends cultural commentary with the healing elements of geothermal heat, water, mud, and steam. Purposefully curated to relax and rejuvenate mind, body, and spirit this 7-step therapeutic journey draws on the centuries-old legacy of Ngāti Whakaue practices and culture including: 

1. Te Hihiri, Blessing Stone.
2. Wairere, Waterfall Showers
3. Te Tukinga, Tongariro Fire & Ice Caves
4. Te Taiwhanga Matua, Lake View Pools
5. Te Pae Paru, Geothermal Mud Lounge
6. Kohu Wai Ariki, Steam Room
7. Te Ngao, Blessing Stone 

*Inclusion: Towels, locker, robe and vanity kit.

1. THE BLESSING STONE

   Your restorative experience starts at Te Hihiri, a place of energy and lifeforce. Here, you’ll encounter the sacred stone known as mauri, a powerful tuhua (obsidian) stone brought from Maketu. This stone symbolises our connection to the whenua (land), our tūpuna (ancestors), and the spirituality of Māori culture.

2. WATERFALL SHOWERS

   Te Iringa, The Waterfall Showers
   Te Iringa draws on the symbolic connection to the waterfalls of the Ngāti Whakaue ancestral lands. Passing through a series of soft water streams, this experience energises the body and clears the mind, preparing you for the next phase of your cultural wellness journey.

3. TONGARIRO FIRE & ICE CAVES

   Te Ahi Tipua provides an invigorating icy temperatures of Mount Tongariro (which Ngātoroirangi climbed) to the heat and fiery geothermal surrounds of Ngāti Whakaue (where the embers of ahi is said to fall during his sister’s plight to save him, thus became geothermal hotspots). Traditionally, Māori had a cold dip first, so they didn’t take any debris into the Wai Ariki. They also understood that moving from one extreme to the next gave them more vigour.

4. LAKE VIEW THERMAL POOLS

   Immerse yourself in our tranquil pools and enjoy the scenic vistas of Lake Rotorua and Mokoia Island. Enjoy the benefits of five pools, two geothermal pools, hydrotherapy pool, plunge and herbal pool which make up the five pools of Te Taiwhanga Matua.

5. GEOTHERMAL MUD LOUNGE

   Experience the restorative power of Te Pae Paru, a space that honours Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) by using naturally occurring geothermal mud to nourish and rejuvenate the skin. This unique practice reflects the deep connection to the land that Ngāti Whakaue has upheld for centuries.

6. STEAM ROOM

   Step into Kohu Wai Ariki, a unique steam cave designed to refresh your skin, deeply relax your body, and rejuvenate your spirit. Rest on heated stones as gentle geothermal steam envelops you, offering a tranquil experience inspired by the cleansing traditions of Ngāti Whakaue. Historically, natural steam from geothermal vents was used to cleanse both internally and externally, detoxifying the body and clearing airways and sinuses.

7. BLESSING STONE

   To complete your restorative experience, we invite you to end your cultural wellness journey through the Wai Whakaora, Restorative Journey, with a visit to Te Ngao.

   This journey is designed to nurture and support your taha tinana (physical wellbeing) and taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing), guiding you towards a state of balance and healing. As the final step, Te Ngao offers a powerful blessing of taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing), helping you to heal, restore, and emerge renewed.

We are located in Rotorua NZ.

Experience Pepeha Journeys 3.5hr Tiaki Promise Tour and then experience a seamless flow into the beautiful Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa for a 2hr Restorative Journey!

The restorative journey is unique in the world.  This multi-sensory wellness experience blends cultural commentary with the healing elements of geothermal heat, water, mud, and steam. Purposefully curated to relax and rejuvenate mind, body, and spirit this 7-step therapeutic journey draws on the centuries-old legacy of Ngāti Whakaue practices and culture including: 

1. Te Hihiri, Blessing Stone.
2. Wairere, Waterfall Showers
3. Te Tukinga, Tongariro Fire & Ice Caves
4. Te Taiwhanga Matua, Lake View Pools
5. Te Pae Paru, Geothermal Mud Lounge
6. Kohu Wai Ariki, Steam Room
7. Te Ngao, Blessing Stone 

*Inclusion: Towels, locker, robe and vanity kit.

1. THE BLESSING STONE

   Your restorative experience starts at Te Hihiri, a place of energy and lifeforce. Here, you’ll encounter the sacred stone known as mauri, a powerful tuhua (obsidian) stone brought from Maketu. This stone symbolises our connection to the whenua (land), our tūpuna (ancestors), and the spirituality of Māori culture.

2. WATERFALL SHOWERS

   Te Iringa, The Waterfall Showers
   Te Iringa draws on the symbolic connection to the waterfalls of the Ngāti Whakaue ancestral lands. Passing through a series of soft water streams, this experience energises the body and clears the mind, preparing you for the next phase of your cultural wellness journey.

3. TONGARIRO FIRE & ICE CAVES

   Te Ahi Tipua provides an invigorating icy temperatures of Mount Tongariro (which Ngātoroirangi climbed) to the heat and fiery geothermal surrounds of Ngāti Whakaue (where the embers of ahi is said to fall during his sister’s plight to save him, thus became geothermal hotspots). Traditionally, Māori had a cold dip first, so they didn’t take any debris into the Wai Ariki. They also understood that moving from one extreme to the next gave them more vigour.

4. LAKE VIEW THERMAL POOLS

   Immerse yourself in our tranquil pools and enjoy the scenic vistas of Lake Rotorua and Mokoia Island. Enjoy the benefits of five pools, two geothermal pools, hydrotherapy pool, plunge and herbal pool which make up the five pools of Te Taiwhanga Matua.

5. GEOTHERMAL MUD LOUNGE

   Experience the restorative power of Te Pae Paru, a space that honours Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) by using naturally occurring geothermal mud to nourish and rejuvenate the skin. This unique practice reflects the deep connection to the land that Ngāti Whakaue has upheld for centuries.

6. STEAM ROOM

   Step into Kohu Wai Ariki, a unique steam cave designed to refresh your skin, deeply relax your body, and rejuvenate your spirit. Rest on heated stones as gentle geothermal steam envelops you, offering a tranquil experience inspired by the cleansing traditions of Ngāti Whakaue. Historically, natural steam from geothermal vents was used to cleanse both internally and externally, detoxifying the body and clearing airways and sinuses.

7. BLESSING STONE

   To complete your restorative experience, we invite you to end your cultural wellness journey through the Wai Whakaora, Restorative Journey, with a visit to Te Ngao.

   This journey is designed to nurture and support your taha tinana (physical wellbeing) and taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing), guiding you towards a state of balance and healing. As the final step, Te Ngao offers a powerful blessing of taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing), helping you to heal, restore, and emerge renewed.