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Review of: Greenstone Tour on the Saced Arahura River
We are out of words. Tangi, thank you so much for the time we could spend with you. Learning about your culture, the pounamu and New Zealand's history in a place like yours was as incredible as it was searching for the stones and turning them into jewellery with you. We're more than touched by your generosity and knowledge and the conversations we've had. We will definitely recommend you to everyone we can find and will cherish this experience forever. Thank you again so much and see you soon.…
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Date of experience: January 2022
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Review of: Greenstone Tour on the Saced Arahura River
Tangi was a great guide and you don’t get a more authentic and down to earth experience than this. I loved getting to meet his cousins in the bush and I learnt a lot about the history of the river, tikanga and pounamu. Please keep in mind this is not a fancy flashy commercial tour and be grateful for that. It is messy (wear gum boots) and barebones but this is the closest you will get to a real experience that most people who live in New Zealand never get to have. I felt really welcomed and was shown very generous hospitality both when gathering pounamu on the sacred river (something you can only do with the iwi who owns it) and being taught skills in necklace making afterwards. Thank you Tangi and your whānau for your amazing manakitangi during my visit.…
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Date of experience: June 2021
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Review of: Greenstone Tour on the Saced Arahura River
You didnt even pass on the information that i had booked the tour. I have requested a refund and heard nothing back from you. I cannot score you any lower than terrible but if i could i would. Should i not get a response on this issue i will continue to do my upmost best to tell everybody i know how terrible a business you are and to never book anything through you. All your fault and not blaming the business concerned…
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Date of experience: May 2021
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Review of: Greenstone Tour on the Saced Arahura River
Yesterday, I had the good fortune to go on a walk with a guide, called Tangi along the Ahahura river mouth. The walk, for about 4 hours sped past as we discussed the lockdown, and how it affected his hapu, the ownership of the Arahura river (the only river owned by a people in NZ) the stories of greenstone, and how the different types came to be in the river according to Maori legend, and, when we weren’t chatting about all this we had our heads down and were looking for greenstone! Or, as the legends have it, the greenstone was looking for us. It’s a wonderful, meditative way to spend an afternoon, and gradually, I got my “eye” in. So much of the stone in the riverbed is colourful, and some of it is precious, but the art of it is in relaxing enough to let the stone make itself known. I found several lovely pieces of Serpentine, a fairly common greenstone, which I was then shown how to make into Pounamu pendants. And then, when I was ready, this piece found me: it’s a cobble of Arahura flower jade, and weighs about 2kg. Normally, this would be the property of the Kati Waewae Hapu, but Tangi decided that this was my “family stone” and so it is coming with us. The whole occasion was deeply moving to me. The stories, the human contact, the atmosphere of a place I was privileged to be allowed to visit, the beauty of the place and the meditation of rock fossicking. I’ll not forget it!…
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Date of experience: July 2020
1 Helpful vote
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Response from Tangi W, Owner at Arahura Greenstone Tours
Responded 27 Aug 2020
I enjoy teaching about pounamu and how it's a healing stone.
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Review of: Greenstone Tour on the Saced Arahura River
Having toured 50+ countries this would have to be up there with my top 10 experiences. Not because it's polished or exciting. But because it's real and in my mind gives you the truest insight into maori tikanga that a tourist is likely to gain. I am maori from NZ but most ppl are unlikely to realise that our stories are different across the country. Tangi taught me about the legends of the birth of Pounamu, stories of tohunga in the southern Alps, the whakapapa of the local hapu, their views of the treaty and Ngai Tahu settlement, the wairua of the Pounamu and his life living and dying free in the bush of his ancestors pa site. Was a special morning and I highly recommend his tour to anyone in the area. Dont expect a polished tour just roll with it and keep an open mind.…
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Date of experience: March 2020
1 Helpful vote
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Response from Tangi W, Owner at Arahura Greenstone Tours
Responded 28 Aug 2020
I love the life I live cause its all mine and I can choose to shear it with anyone I like
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