Hot culture: Te Puia

For the curious and open-minded, travel is a pleasure that unlocks the world's marrow.

Not only does it allow the viewing of lovely and unusual places, but it also exposes people to different cultures, rituals and values than the ones they are used to at home.

While thousands of Kiwis travel oversees to see the sights and experience other cultures, many more thousands, indeed millions, are coming here to do the very same thing.

As they have done for hundreds of years, they are making Rotorua the "must see" destination and Te Puia is high on the list of places they visit - not only for its geothermal activity, but also for the cultural experience it offers.

While the majority of visitors to Te Puia are from overseas, a sizeable amount are also New Zealanders wanting to get a glimpse of marae-style protocol and entertainment.

First things first and a powhiri is necessary. A chief needs to be picked from the visitors and the day we visited, the most chiefly out of our bunch of about 100 people was an elderly Indian gentleman. He was clearly pleased to be asked and followed Maori protocol by facing down the challenge of a muscled-up young warrior without a hitch.

Our "chief" for the morning then lead us inside Te Puia's marae where a concert of Maori songs, haka and poi were performed. I'm a fan of most musical performance and Maori cultural performances are up there with my favourites. But what I wasn't prepared for was the reaction of the crowd.

You could hear a pin drop while the traditional songs were being performed. It was heartening to see more than 100 people, of many different races and cultures riveted to the performance and enjoying what we locals often take for granted. The performers were a pretty slick group and it's not surprising they were so good - locals from Rotorua, and in particular Whakarewarewa, have been hosting visitors since the late 1800s.

Although the performance was excellent, the best part was when the visitors were invited on stage to take part.

Some of the males in the audience would have given Usain Bolt a run for his money when they were asked to learn the haka. They couldn't get up there quick enough.

Once they were shown the ropes and had a quick run through with the local warriors, the pressure was on to put it all together for the crowd. The young and old warriors from around the world did a spectacular job, giving their best to learn a bit of Kiwi culture.
The same can be said for the poi. It will be hard to forget the sight of an elderly Indian lady (in traditional Indian dress) doing the long poi along with a trendy, young Chinese woman and school-aged Kiwi kids.

Although the experience is a tiny glimpse into Maori culture, the size of the crowd and their enthusiasm in wanting to learn is an indication of its esteem. Te Puia is based in Whakarewarewa village and this area became the focus of tourist activity after the Tarawera Eruption. After the concert, you get the chance to walk around the area and see why the place has earned its international reputation.

The legendary Pohutu Geyser is the main draw card, erupting to a height of 30m up to 30 times a day. This geyser is ranked in the world's top five geysers by Lonely Planet and the chance to see it in action is not to be missed. Eruptions can last a few minutes or days - and on rare occasions, such as between 2000 and 2001, it erupted for more than 250 days.

Local legend has it that the geothermal energy is as a result of two sisters, Te Pupu and Te Hoata (The Goddesses of Fire) searching for their brother beneath the earth. Every time they would lift their heads above ground, they would create geothermal hotspots and geysers.

The powerful energy of the female is not limited to legend though. A dynasty of female guides have hosted tourists in Rotorua for more than a century, often becoming as famous as the geysers they show.

One such guide was Maggie Papakura, who was known for her intelligence, wit traditional knowledge, and great beauty. In the early 1900s she established a cultural group that toured Sydney and London, showcasing Maori culture to international audiences. Her group performed in Crystal Palace, the Palace Theatre and White City and they entertained thousands. She eventually settled in England, married an Englishman, and studied anthropology at Oxford University. Guides such as Maggie Papakura have taken Maori culture to the world and looked after the world when it came calling. Guides and performers from Whakarewarewa sparked an enduring curiosity about Maori culture which is still in evidence today.

As we delight in other peoples cultures, its great to know they are welcomed, entertained and inspired with the same charm and grace of the guides that went before them.