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KIA ORA!!! WELCOME TO TE PUIA

 ROTORUA NEWZEALAND

TE PUIA

Te Puia ,located in Rotorua Newzealand, is a place of wonderful geothermal phenomenon and native Maori culture . It is considered to be a sacred place for Maori people and visitors here are treated with utmost respect and warmth and tourists are also expected to return the same and maintain the sanctity of the place.

As we approach Te Puia,the ever present odour of mild sulphur in air of Rotorua, becomes a bit strong, so does the excitement of being on an actual geothermal or say volcanic active area .

This is the only place in world where we can actually experience the geothermal activity in safest possible way.

As we start the tour,we are welcomed warmly by the local Maori guide, who keeps us entertained with information and stories of their upbringing in Maori culture.

Te Puia experience can be widely divided in two parts.

1) Geothermal Natural Wonders

2) Maori culture

GEOTHERMAL NATURAL WONDERS

Bubbling mud pools,steam rising from streams ,rocks coated with greenish yellow sulphuric minerals, pools of boiling water still used for cooking, and stunning geysers, these are the few wonders ,we will see as we walk through the area. Along the path we also see local Maori huts and statues.

Purapurawhetu ( Mud pools)

 Purapurawhetu means star dust,and it takes it name from the small clusters of boiling mud which resembles the pattern of stars and galaxy . We are hypnotised by the whirls of bubbling mud and steam rising from it. the mud is dark in color due to presence of black sulphur in it.

Gyesers

POHUTU GEYSER

There were many geysers in this area and they are named in Maori language ,like Pohutu,Papakura and Te horu. Only Pohutu geyser is active now and is the largest in southern hemisphere. It erupts once or twice every hour and sometimes can reach the height of 100 feet. POHUTU means constant splashing in Maori language. The eruption can last from few minutes to few hours.

Cooking pools

Ngāraratuatara, is the Maori name for cooking pools, where food is boiled in the hot water of these geothermal area. This style of cooking is called INGO, where flax baskets of fresh food is lowered in these hot pools to cook food. Another style of cooking is HANOI, where a pit is dug and food is place in flax baskets over hot rocks, covered with leaves and soil . This style of cooking infuses the food with a delicious flavour of geothermal heat.

This amazing geothermal tour is best taken in late afternoon to catch the wondorous scenes at twilight.

Just opposite the famous Pohutu geyser, are the rows of rocks which are naturally heated by the lava underneath, and one can sit on them to get warm, as the sun sets.   

As the sunsets, and the lights go on, the steam rising from geysers, the mild odour of sulphur, the guzzling sounds of the streams, the warmth of the rocks, cold in the air, all come together to create an amazing experience, touching our spirits and stimulating all our senses.

MAORI CULTURE

As we come to end of the geothermal tour, we are taken to the scared Maori area, where we tour  Maori buildings, their art of making clothes, bags and other accessories, their sculpture, and workshops. Every year few students are chosen amongst their community to teach them these art and culture and hence, the ancient culture of Maori is preserved.

After the tour, the head of Maori clan comes to welcome us to their community hall, where they display their traditional dance skills,  and few of their dace steps are taught to all and later we are served their traditional Hanoi dinner.

Thus comes the end to a wonderful evening spent in this scared Maori geo thermal area.