Maori moko hit with Cup visitors

Rugby World Cup tourists visiting Rotorua are leaving with a permanent reminder of their trip - Maori-designed moko on their bodies.

At least 54 tourists who have come to Rotorua as part of the Rugby World Cup celebrations since the competition started have had what is called moko (Maori skin art) or kirituhi (a Maori-designed moko worn by non-Maori) by Rotorua artists.

At Moko 101, artists have worked on about 50 tourists visiting Rotorua as part of their Rugby World Cup 2011 trip.

Half of them already knew about the business before visiting and had pre-booked using Facebook or email.

Hohua Mohi from Moko 101 called in other artists - Te Mauri Tini and Murray Bidois - to help cope with demand. Some days they were at their Hinemoa St studio until 2am.

He said while many of their tourist clients were from a variety of nations such as Italy, Ireland, America and Russia, there were a lot from France.

Said some of the tourists just wanted a souvenir of their World Cup tournament trip while others wanted designs to represent their families and aspirations, Mr Mohi said.

A Moko artist for 17 years, Richard Francis, from Toiariki, said he had given kirituhi to four World Cup tourists who had pre-booked.

He had to turn more than 20 tourists from different nations including France, Spain, England and South Africa away from his Arawa St studio because he was so booked up.

Mr Francis, who is a full-time contemporary Maori artist and educator, said since the beginning of World Cup last month, tourists had been coming in trying to secure an appointment for kirituhi.

"I've had heaps come in off the street."

He said he believed moko was now in the mainstream and was done in European countries, which was why tourists wanted it.

Getting it done by Maori in New Zealand meand the moko was more authentic, he said.

Rotorua's RWC parade and workshop, p4