Mataatua: The House That Came Home

In Whakatāne, New Zealand’s longest continually occupied settlement and gateway to Whakaari (White Island), you will find the revered Mataatua Wharenui: a fully carved Māori ancestral house that travelled the world for over a century, before returning home to its people – the Ngāti Awa Māori tribe of the Eastern Bay of Plenty. An alternative to other more commercial cultural options available in the larger centres, Mataatua is a remarkably personal encounter defined by a rich and genuine insight into a fascinating culture, the legendary story of the house that came home and the warmth of welcome as visitors arrive and strangers, but leave as friends. If commercial cultural attractions are not your cup of Kawakawa tea, and a personal, interactive and genuine immersion into Māori culture is what you seek, make your way to Mataatua today.