History

Waka tours from Kaiteriteri, the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. A truly unique cultural experience that's suitable for all ages. We begin and end all our trips with a blessing (karakia) for protection. You will learn the etiquette (tikanga) associated with waka before becoming familiar with the boat and embarking on our journey (haerenga ). Group Journeys, Haerenga ā-rōpū.  Let us create a unique experience for your school, business, iwi, tour or team-building group. Paddle as a group along the coast, try your hand at racing, or ask us to design a customised adventure. Come join us for a truly unique cultural experience that's suitable for all ages.

We offer our guests the opportunity to personally discover Māori culture, traditions and unique geothermal landscapes here on our tribal homeland of Lake Tarawera, Rotorua. Experience and enjoy storytelling, lake excursions, traditional food tasting, walking trails, geothermal bathing, glamping and our stunning landscapes.  Tarawera is the birth place of tourism in New Zealand and we follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, the original guides. It is the standing place of the Tuhourangi and Ngati Rangitihi tribes and an area seeped in history. The area was home to the “Eighth wonder of the world”, the famous Pink and White Terraces, lost in the devastating eruption of Mount Tarawera on the 10th of June, 1886. Totally Tarawera operates exclusively on Lake Tarawera. Just 14km from central Rotorua.

Ngati Ruanui Stratford Mountain House is set in fabulous bush surrounds inside the Egmont National Park, 15km from the Stratford township in Central Taranaki. The business is a licensed hotel and offers visitors “The Mountain House Experience”. Refurbished to a high standard the hotel has an award winning restaurant and 11 accommodation suites all at  very reasonable rates. Using the Mountain House as a base there are a variety of walking tracks to explore, a winter skifield, and guided summit tours are also available. Popular tourist attractions in the area include our very own goblin forest, Tawhiti Museum, Possum Factory, park like golf courses, trout fishing and native bird reserves.

Wairakei Terraces will entertain and educate, leaving you in awe of nature’s capacity to be fashioned yet still retaining a naturalness that is pleasing to the eye as well as the senses. A guided or self-tour incorporates features of geothermal and Māori cultural interest, notably carvings that depict the history of New Zealand and Māori, and the first ever man-made silica terraces reminiscent of the iconic pink and white versions of Tarawera. Experience the very cornerstone of Māori custom and culture. Begin a journey into the mysterious world of our Māori people and participate in a traditional welcome, a guided terraces tour which includes demonstrations of traditional Māori art and craft, a traditional ‘Hangi’ meal, and a spectacular performance of song, dance and haka.

Embark on an awe-inspiring journey with us as we welcome you into the Māori world. Experiencing another culture can be interesting and informative but we want to leave you excited, impressed and satisfied you chose to experience our style. We express ourselves so that you can feel our ihi - our magnetism. It is our pleasure to entertain and entice your senses in a way that is educational, informative and enlivening. We are in the business of haka and haka resources. We can provide a mobile service for your special occasion or conference to welcome you and your guests to an event in our region.

We teach our surf students about surfing life in New Zealand. We offer a full week of surf lessons, surf cinema, meteorology talks from our local radio weather man, a cultural exchange at local marae that includes a powhiri and karakia to keep our students safe in the water. We conduct beach clean ups and donate our time to give back to the local community - oh and we cook! As a chef with 30 years experience who loves to teach our international students about the local kaimoana (seafood) delicacies like the tuatua that lay right under our feet as we surf.

At the beginning of the 19th Century, Ngāti Waewae, a tribal affiliate of Ngai Tahu, laid claim to the ownership of the West Coast through conquest. Today Ngāti Waewae are centred at Arahura Pa, a Māori Reserve, where the people are known as kaitiaki (guardians) of pounamu (greenstone). Ngāti Waewae occupation has been sustained by the beautiful treasure known as pounamu, a prized possession of their people. Waewae Pounamu is totally owned and operated by Ngāti Waewae, which lies within the heart of "Greenstone Isle" – Te Waipounamu, the South Island of New Zealand.

TIME Unlimited Tours (“To Integrate Māori Experiences”) is one of New Zealand’s most iconic tour operators and one of the country’s most-awarded tourism businesses. They take their manuhiri (guests) on a wonderful journey through Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) and throughout Aotearoa (New Zealand). Their highly-personal, small group and private tours in various top-end Mercedes vehicles and highly-qualified guides showcase their stunning home that is New Zealand. They offer Auckland City & West Coast Luxury Tours, Auckland Highlights Tours, Auckland West Coast Tours, Auckland Māori Tours and Guided Wilderness Walks in the Auckland region. Their Private Luxury Tours explore world-famous destinations as well as many hidden gems around New Zealand.

Whanganui River Adventures is a local tourism business owned by locals Ken & Josephine Haworth based in the small river village of Pipiriki on the banks of the Whanganui River. We share stories of the river passed down to us and our local whanau staff, keeping our tours and the service we offer unique and authentic. Our personalised tours are scenic and involve our local history and stories of the river. Experience the river and the surrounding environment by jet boat, canoe, kayak, mountain bike, or walk. We offer a range of accommodation options.

EVERY STEP A STORY....We’ve chosen our range of walks for their natural history, scenic beauty, remote locations and varied terrain. Our friendly, knowledgeable local guides ensure you have plenty of time to enjoy the whole experience nature has provided.
Why choose Guided Walks NZ? The answer’s simple – it’s our privilege to make Guided Walks NZ the most memorable part of your New Zealand experience.  Letting you touch, see and feel the ‘real’ New Zealand.