Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MAORI NZ: THE EAST COAST
The main
iwi
(tribes) in the region are Te Whanau-a-Apanui (
www.apanui.co.nz
; west side of East Cape), Ngati
Porou (
www.ngatiporou.com
; east side of East Cape), Ngati Kahungunu (
www.kahungunu.iwi.nz
;
the coast from
Hawke's Bay down) and Ngati Tuhoe (
www.ngaituhoe.iwi.nz
;
inland in Te Urewera).
Ngati Porou and Ngati Kahungunu are the country's second- and third-biggest
iwi
. In the late 19th century they
produced the great leaders James Carroll (the first Maori cabinet minister) and Apirana Ngata (who was briefly
acting prime minister). Ngata, whose face adorns NZ's $50 note, worked tirelessly in parliament to orchestrate a
cultural revival within Maoridom. The region's magnificent carved meeting houses are part of his legacy.
Maori life is at the forefront around the East Cape, in sleepy villages centred upon the many
marae
(meeting
houses) that dot the landscape. Living in close communities, drawing much of their livelihoods off the sea and the
land, the
tangata whenua
(local people) of the Cape offer a fascinating insight into what life might have been, had
they not been so vigorously divested of their land in the 19th century.
You will meet Maori wherever you go. For accommodation with a distinctly Maori flavour, consider Marae-
hako Bay Retreat or Hikihiki's Inn (
Click here
)
. For an intimate introduction to
Maoritanga
(things Maori), take a
guided tour with Long Island Guides (
Click here
)
or Waimarama Tours (
Click here
).
For a more passive brush with the culture, visit Gisborne's Tairawhiti Museum (
Click here
), Otatara Pa (
Click
here
) in Napier, and Tikitiki's St Mary's Church.
Whangaparaoa (Cape Runaway) to East Cape
The road heads inland from Whangaparaoa, crossing into hilly Ngati Porou territory be-
fore hitting the coast at
Hicks Bay
, a real middle-of-nowhere settlement with a grand beach.
Brilliant views distract from the barrack ambience at the 50-year-old
Hicks Bay Motel Lodge
(
06-864 4880;
www.hicksbaymotel.co.nz
;
5198 SH35, Hicks Bay; dm $23, d $75-130, 2-bedroom units $165;
)
, squatting high above the bay. The old-fashioned rooms are nothing flash, although
the restaurant (mains $21 to $35, open for breakfast and dinner), shop, pool and glow-
worm grotto compensate.
Nearly 10km further is
Te Araroa
, a lone-dog village with two shops, a petrol station,
takeaway and beautifully carved
marae
. The geology changes here from igneous outcrops
to sandstone cliffs: the dense bush backdrop doesn't seem to mind which it grows on.
More than 350 years old, 20m high and 40m wide,
Te-Waha-O-Rerekohu
, allegedly NZ's
largest pohutukawa tree, stands in Te Araroa schoolyard. The progressive
East Cape Manuka
Company
( 06-864 4824;
www.eastcapemanuka.co.nz
;
4464 Te Araroa Rd, Te Araroa; 8.30am-4.30pm daily
Nov-Apr, Mon-Fri only May-Oct)
is here too, selling soaps, oils, creams and honey made from po-
tent East Cape manuka. It's a good stop for coffee, a cooked breakfast or a smoothie
(meals and snacks $5 to $20). Check out the busy bees at work in the wall display. There's
basic backpacker accommodation in a 135-year-old house at
Te Araroa Backpackers
(
06-864
4896;
www.teararoabackpackers.com
; 57 Waione Rd, Te Araroa; dm from $25)
.
