Experience the REAL Maori Village in Rotorua!

In this Video we visited the Maori village of Ohinemutu which is located in Rotorua - Ōhinemutu Village was settled by the Ngāti Whakaue iwi (tribe), a sub-tribe of the Te Arawa waka (canoe) journeyed from the Pacific homeland of Hawaiiki to New Zealand around 1350AD. The explorers chose this location for their home due to its setting along the shores of Lake Rotorua and the abundant geothermal energy which was useful for cooking, bathing and heating. Ngāti Whakaue gifted the land on which the city of Rotorua was built, and today the historic village, just 10 minutes’ walk from the Rotorua city centre, is still home to a few hundred descendants. We were greeted by lovely locals that showed us around and even showed us new hot pools that have appeared in the zone and the traditional ovens where Maori cook their Hangi (Hāngī is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven, called an umu.). After the Maori village it was time to visit Kuirau park. Kuirau Park is free to visit and located within an easy walk from the city centre, just off Pukuatua and Ranolf streets. Parking is also free. Several walkways take you through the park to see the crater lake, mud pools, hot springs, and a free thermal foot bath, all set in a beautifully manicured setting dotted with flower beds and native flora. Kuirau Park is also great place to play and picnic, with barbecues, picnic tables, children's playground and toilets. If you visit on Saturday, you'll be lured by the wonderful aromas of the food vendors and the beautiful fresh produce at the farmer's market held every week from 6am to 1pm – perfect for breakfast or lunch! We had the change to (not see much) due to the amount of steam that was coming from the very hot lakes. The smell is also interesting around Rotorua. Our last stop in Rotorua was the Redwood forest, a forest with native New Zealand ferns and Californian Redwood Trees. JOIN THE JOURNEY: INSTAGRAM:   / _travelgramers_   FACEBOOK:   / travelgramers   BUY US A CHOCOLATE - one time donation through PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/JoaoAndreSousa ➳Travelgramers ✈ As a couple 🇵🇹 we want to see the world 🌎🌍🌏 and inspire you to venture out and explore 🌱 Currently Backpacking Southeast Asia For business enquiries: [email protected] Music by:   / dcuttermusic     / scottbuckley