Maori Concert and Hangi

Indeed a trip to New Zealand North Island would not be complete without watching a Maori concert and have a taste of Hangi, a traditional New Zealand Maori way of cooking food – using heated rocks buried in a pit oven.

With one-third of its population being Maori, Rotorua is a major centre for Maori culture, and so where else to experience and rub shoulders with the Moari people, learn and experience their culture and dance; and taste the food cooked in the traditional way, but Rotorua!

At Mitai Maori Village
After a rather lengthy introduction, we were ushered outside of the building to ‘witness’ how food are cooked in the traditional way – hangi! It was then followed by a walk through a ‘forest’ to a river. Soon we were greeted by the ‘warriors’ in the traditional dress coming down the river in the ancient warrior canoe (waka). Kind of a fanfare! The ‘excitement’ was over, and as we walked back to the building, we were ‘entertained’ by ladies standing in between trees singing with their powerful voice.

Time for some Maori traditional songs and dance. After about an hour of performance, which ended with a Haka finale, our stomachs started to protest – ‘we want food’. It was well past 8:00pm after all.

A sumptuous buffet dinner of vegetable salad, baked potatoes and sweet potatoes, lamb and chicken and rice was served. The evening ended with a short walk back to the forest to see some glowworms. Not that many compared to the one at Waitomo cave but overall it was a great evening. I left the village feeling enriched by the experience and the food!

Mitai Maori Village – inside the hall

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, lamb
and chicken – cooked in hangi style

Being kept in suspense – what were we waiting for?

Here came the warriors, in the ancient
warrior canoe (waka) (above and below).


At the Maori concert (above and below)

The tribal chief in action