He Tangata - Profiling ‘The People’ who are making a difference to Maori tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand

A tale of an ancient forest and the ancient people who dwelled within it, as told by their descendants

To the Maori of old, the ancient rainforest known as Whirinaki was regarded as the Garden of Eden in the otherwise barren volcanic lands of the central North Island.

Those who occupied the heavily-wooded forest, in the north western quadrant of the ranges of Te Urewera, quickly came to treasure the rich resources contained within it.

Whirinaki was the supermarket and the pharmacy of these ancient people and it provided the raw materials from which they built their houses in the ground, dwellings that had to offer protection from the harsh winters experienced in these parts.

Today local Maori share this rich history with their manuhiri, the visitors who come from throughout the world to stand in awe of its giant trees and to marvel at the diversity of the flora and fauna which give Whirinaki its global ranking as an eco-tourism destination.

The tourism excursions they lead are operated under the banner of Whirinaki Rainforest Guided Walks and provide informative, educational and entertaining interpretation which covers the traditional uses of this ancient forest.

Of all New Zealand’s major guided walks, those that operate in this ancient rainforest are truly unique, for they are excursions that provide a mix of ecology and culture.

The Maori guides who led these walks share the knowledge handed down from generation to generation, including that segment of the tribal tradition and history they are permitted to share with their guests.

The operating company, Whirinaki Guided Walks Ltd, began its commercial operations in 1994, initially offering two-day heli-treks centred on a safari-style camp located deep in the heart of the forest.

In more recent times the two-day walks have given way to three-day walk-in, walk-out expeditions using that same sophisticated nature camp, although the heli-trek option is still available to groups.

For those on a short timeframe during their visit to Aotaeroa New Zealand, a one-day ‘window-look’ outing on a trail graded easy is also offered. This is proving very popular with tour groups on tight schedules in particular.

And those who do not want to join other walkers and may be seeking an exclusive experience, with their own Maori guide, are offered privately-guided options.

A recent addition to the programme is an overnight stay at one of the several historic marae on the edge of the Whirinaki rainforest, with the walks company operating alongside a local whanau (family) group in this endeavour.

After a decade in the guided walks business - the Whirinaki operation is the only North Island member of the Walk New Zealand international marketing group - the company is now starting to get some real traction in the international marketplace.

Senior guide Rui Kohiti says it’s really good to see first-hand how appreciative overseas visitors are of hearing local history delivered by people with a real connection to the Whirinaki rainforest.

“The feedback we get is tremendous,” he says.

“People who come walking with us leave knowing that they have been given a special opportunity to hear a little about our people and the history of those who came before us.

“That specialness, they say, comes from hearing our tribal traditions and stories from people who learned it from their fathers, and their fathers before them.”

It is this personal relationship between the people and the land - calling on knowledge gained and passed on over centuries - that gives Whirinaki Rainforest Guided Walks a distinctive point of difference in terms of the New Zealand tourism product today.

Te Urewera has always held a fascination for those from overseas, going back to the earliest European settlement of this country.

What the operating company, Whirinaki Guided Walks Ltd, has succeeded in doing is making that vast wooded mountain country accessible to international visitors, and overlaying those experiences with local knowledge.

“Over the last decade, we have been able to package these experiences, whether they be on a single day or multi-day basis,” Rui says. “We have added in the transport from either Rotorua or Taupo, and all the ingredients that give our manuhiri the chance to see how our ancestors survived in this forest in earlier days - what they ate, how they cured their illnesses and battle wounds and what they used the big trees for.

“People are really fascinated by being told about these things by people who whakapapa (trace their geneology) to this area, rather than by people who do not have a spiritual connection with the land.

“Many of them are quite emotional when the time comes to farewell the Whirinaki. For them it’s been a privilege to gain that knowledge and to share a day or more with us.

“But as we say, the privilege rests with us. It’s a chance to share ourselves and our culture. It is really a good feeling to know that they have gone away feeling the same about this place as we do.”

 

WHIRINAKI RAINFOREST GUIDED WALKS

 

P O Box 1491, Taupo

Ph: +64 7 377 2363

Fax +64 7 377 3285

 

E-mail:

 

Website: www.rainforest-treks.co.nz