Marae Stay Experiences

A marae is the meeting ground of a hapu or iwi - the wharenui, the meeting house, with its ancestral carvings, the marae atea in front of it, and the wharekai where everyone eats. Some marae host overnight visits, and what makes it different from other accommodation is that you enter through the protocol rather than at a reception desk: the powhiri, with the karanga calling the group on, whaikorero speeches, a waiata sung in reply, and the hongi at the end that ends the visitor status. You sleep on mattresses on the floor of the wharenui with everyone else, which is how the house is used, and you eat together and help with dishes. Shoes come off at the door, food and drink stay out of the wharenui, and you do not sit on tables or pillows. Guests are expected to have someone speak for them, which the operator arranges. It is booked through iwi-run operators, not turned up to.

What you actually see

• The powhiri - the formal welcome that admits you to the ground.
• The wharenui - the carved house, and sleeping in it communally.
• The shared meals - eating together in the wharekai, and helping.
• The protocol - shoes off, no food inside, someone speaking for the group.

When to go

Any season. This must be booked through an operator or the marae itself - it is not something to arrive at unannounced. Ask what is expected of you when booking.

Honest expectations

You sleep on a mattress on the floor in a shared room, not in a private one. Photography inside the wharenui is usually restricted or forbidden. Protocol is not optional and it is the point. This is hosting, not hospitality as a service.

Nearby

Offered around Rotorua, the Bay of Islands, the East Coast and elsewhere.