Te Pā Tū (previously Tamaki Māori Village)

Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within our forest Pā (village) –blanketed by towering Tawa trees, blazing bonfires, and forest-formed amphitheatre.

Te Pā Tū shares Māori history, traditions, and cultural aspirations across 4-hours of celebration and feasting. These events change with each season of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.

Summer: Tū Te Rā - Across this lunar phase, the sun expresses optimal energy, the days are longer, and light nourishes the natural world. Tū Te Rā celebrates abundant harvest and explores concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace.

Winter: Tū Te Ihi includes the time in the earth’s cycle when Matariki stars are high and bright in winter skies. Te Ihi references the energy and passion stirred by the Matariki cluster and the promise they herald.

From arrival into Te Pā Tū, we share seasonal kai horotai (delicacies). These can include roasted tuna (native eel), creamy pāua (abalone) on rewena (bread) crostini, foraged greens, chunky smoked kahawai, ember warmed kumara and restorative kawakawa tea.

Torch light guides manuhiri (guests) to a lavish but relaxed three course feast. Hāngī remains hero but it shares the table with lesser-known Māori delicacies, prepared fusion style. Wagyu pincanha, Watercress chimichurri, taro gratin – even kumara ice-cream - each dish is inspired by or infused with traditional ingredients, stories, or cooking techniques.

Whether dining al fresco or in our wharekai (dining room) we celebrate the spirit of hākari (feasting) and of Aotearoa, New Zealand