Highland Paradise

Highland Paradise stands on the hillside above Arorangi on the site of a village that was abandoned in the 1820s when the missionaries moved its people down to the coast, and the family that descends from the chiefly line there has cleared and interpreted it: marae, house platforms, terraces and paths through the bush, along with a cultural show and an umu feast in the evening. The site had been overgrown for a century and a half.

What you actually see

• The abandoned village - marae, platforms and terraces cleared from the bush.
• The 1820s relocation - the move down to the coast that emptied the site.
• The family connection - the descendants of the chiefly line who run it.
• The evening show - the performance and umu feast held on the hillside.

When to go

May to October is the drier season. Evening shows run on set nights and must be booked. Daytime tours run on weekdays.

Honest expectations

It is a commercial operation and the evening show is priced accordingly. The road up is steep and transfers are usually included for a reason. Wet weather makes the site paths slippery.

Nearby

Arorangi is below, and Raemaru is beside it.