A wonderful experience that broadens and deepens your knowledge of Maori and local culture. Highly... read more
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19
3
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1
Mataatua: The House That Came Home
Mataatua, Te Manuka Tutahi, 105 Muriwai Drive, Whakatane 3120, New Zealand
Review Highlights
“So informative ”
Can’t speak highly enough of the staff and the tour I did at ‘Mataatua’ today. I’m not a foreign... read more
502Bob_H
Preston, United Kingdom
154101
A Really Great Experience
Review of Mataatua: The House That Came Home
Date of experience: January 2020
3 Thank 502Bob_H
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All reviews light show maori experience local culture fried bread worth taking the time brownie visiting whakatane guided tour couple of hours great guide amazing experience wharenui carvings awa maras history video
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9 - 14 of 132 reviews
Mayana D
Auckland, New Zealand
10413
this is a very sacred whare, only took photos from the outside, as you will need to be escorted onto the premises, most likely a powhiri, Great to see the Ngati awa tangata have got their whare back, Very special to see this in Whakatane
Date of experience: December 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mataatua, Guest Relations Manager at Mataatua: The House That Came Home, responded to this reviewResponded 10 March 2020
Kia ora Mayana D,
Tēnā koe i wāu nā mihi mai ki a mātou o Ngāti Awa.
Thanks for your kind words. We're so fortunate to have Mataatua back and we're grateful for the many hours successive leaders of our iwi tirelessly and selflessly dedicated to the fight to have the house of our ancestors returned. E kore e mimiti te puna mihi kia rātou!
Thanks again for your warm compliments and we hope to one day host you at Mataatua if you ever return to Whakatāne.
Ngā mihi mahana
Te Whānau @ Mataatua
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Carryonupthekhyber
Martinborough, New Zealand
299
via mobile
Recommended. Well organized and presented, with the best sound and light show we have seen. A good way to gain a little insight into Maori history and culture.
Date of experience: November 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mataatua, Guest Relations Manager at Mataatua: The House That Came Home, responded to this reviewResponded 10 March 2020
Kia ora Carryonupthekhyber,
Thanks for your kind words and compliments, we're glad you enjoyed your time with us. We're very proud of Hiko: Legends Carved in Light, the Mataatua digital spectacle, and it's great to know it's still winning fans, as it has done since day one.
Thanks again and kia haumaru te hāere - travel safe!
Ngā mihi mahana
Te Whānau @ Mataatua
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
kswindail
Mirrabooka, Australia
11
We loved our morning here. Felt so welcomed and learnt a great deal. The experience was very personal. l
Date of experience: October 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mataatua, Guest Relations Manager at Mataatua: The House That Came Home, responded to this reviewResponded 10 March 2020
Tēnā koe kswindail,
Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you, but we just wanted to say thank you very much for, first of all, taking the time out to visit us here at Mataatua and then posting such kind feedback. We're very grateful.
Ngā mihi mahana
Te Whānau @ Mataatua
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
wetraveln0w
Montpellier, France
8441
I wasn't really excited about this activity, but we had a couple of free hours before our next scheduled activity and a lady at the tourist office highly recommended it. So glad we went. Usually, I don't enjoy "cultural" activities - they feel forced and fake. This one didn't. And the story of the meeting house is interesting, plus, you get the opportunity to observe the carvings and weavings up close. The snacks afterward and the conversation with our guide Tam were also great. Overall, a worthwhile experience. Would highly recommend it.
Date of experience: July 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mataatua, Guest Relations Manager at Mataatua: The House That Came Home, responded to this reviewResponded 10 March 2020
Kia ora wetraveln0w,
Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you but we just wanted to say thanks so much for the awesome feedback and that we're glad you had such a great time spending time with us! We feel very privileged to be able to share our unique culture, history and traditions with visitors from all over the world and it's nice to know our commitment to being sincere and genuine in the way we host our visitors is recognised and valued.
Thanks again e hoa, and we'll be sure to pass on your compliments to Tame!
Ngā mihi mahana
Te Whānau @ Mataatua
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Darcie704
Auckland, New Zealand
191
via mobile
From the formal welcome onto the Marae to the Maori fried bread and Kawakawa tea after the light show this was a wonderful experience. The story of the meeting house removal for overseas exhibitions exposes our early colonial thinking. The story of the settlement of Whakatane told in a light show on the meeting house walls was very clever highlighting various aspects of the carvings to tell the story. Our guide was very informative and approachable. Highly recommended to fellow Kiwis. It’s not just for the tourists.
Date of experience: June 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mataatua, Guest Relations Manager at Mataatua: The House That Came Home, responded to this reviewResponded 10 March 2020
Kia ora Darcie704,
Sorry it has taken so long to respond to your comment and thanks so much for your kind words, especially for highlighting that Mataatua is an experience relevant to all New Zealanders. As you would have learned when you visited, Mataatua Wharenui was showcased at the most significant international exhibitions of the late 1800s and early 1900s, making it one of our country's earliest representatives!
Thanks again for helping us get the word out to our fellow Kiwis!
Ngā mihi mahana
Te Whānau @ Mataatua
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC