Kerikeri Basin, Puketi Forest, Maori Marae & Kawakawa
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Port
Waitangi (Bay of Islands), New Zealand
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$220
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 5 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Discover the Kerikeri Mission and its lasting impact, admire the ancient Puketi forest, immerse yourself in the rich traditions of a Maori marae, and enjoy the contemporary flair of Kawakawa.
Transfer from Waitangi to the edge of the Kerikeri Basin, where two very different cultures meet at the Kerikeri Mission House. This is where, 200 years ago, Maori culture met the principles of Christianity, only to discover that they had more in common than perhaps originally assumed by both peoples.
Head to the Puketi Forest and join your guide for a short walk through a subtropical rainforest. If they could talk, the ancient kauri trees here would whisper tales of a millennium of standing sentinel over rich flora and fauna. Your guide will introduce you to New Zealand's endemic vegetation.
Visit a Maori marae -- a meeting place. Watch a traditional Maori welcome (powhiri) here to understand how this linking of the past and the present is central to the identity of today's Maori people. Enjoy light refreshments during your visit.
Continue to Kawakawa -- a slice of small-town New Zealand that would be unremarkable except for its celebrated public restroom. The feted privy was designed by internationally renowned artist and architect Frederick Hundertwasser. The late Austrian artist made this remote Northland town his home and took up the challenge of designing the public restroom here, attracting worldwide media coverage and a slew of road-trippers stopping to check out the world-class WC. What do you think of it?
On your return to Waitangi, pass through Paihia, where one of New Zealand's earliest mission stations was established in 1823.
Please note:
Wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring a light jacket. In the event the marae is closed for a funeral, a similar experience will be substituted.