Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Viral poi video showcases Rotorua (+video)

Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
By Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
News Director, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
31 Oct, 2016 06:01 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Credit: Tareikura

When you mix Rotorua's unique Maori culture with an international pop song you get a viral video with a quarter million views and a challenge to other cities.

A video showing girls from Tareikura, a Maori Arts Grooming Academy, dancing with poi to the popular pop song Can't Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake has gone off on social media, being viewed 255,000 times since it was posted on Friday.

The girls are seen busting a move at a number of key Rotorua spots including the museum, Skyline and Te Puia. It was a collaborative project with Destination Rotorua to get people to come to the city during summer.

The video has been liked 1800 times on the Tareikura Facebook page and shared by more than 800 people.

A screen grab of the viral video featuring Maori Arts Grooming Academy Tareikura.
A screen grab of the viral video featuring Maori Arts Grooming Academy Tareikura.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tareikura director Tinamaree Kaipara-Winitana said they had hoped the video would go viral.

"There is always that hope, after going viral last year with our 'Poiyonce' video we hoped we would go viral again.

"For the girls though, going viral wasn't even in their mindset, they were completely focused on applying themselves 100 per cent and doing the job they were set to do."

Ms Kaipara-Winitana said this project was different as they were promoting a location.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It took us six weeks to do because we had to wait for the perfect blue skies but after seeing the end result and seeing how we were able to capture the magic of Rotorua, it was definitely worth the wait."

When asked why she thought the video went viral, Ms Kaipara-Winitana said it was finding the perfect balance between the "right music, right image and right movement".

"If it makes you feel good, makes you feel happy then I think you're on to a winner."

Destination Rotorua consumer marketing manager Tom Worsp said the organisation was thrilled with the traction the video got.

"Social media is funny like that, you never know what's going to go viral but it's very satisfying to see these things take off."

Mr Worsp said the video was unique to Rotorua and showcased something locals held dear - our Maori culture.

"It was a fun little way of promoting Rotorua for the summer and it didn't cost a thing to make because it was a team effort. It reinforces how cost effective social media is for advertising our city."

He said, along with the video, a challenge was issued to Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Dunedin centres to see what region-centric video they could come up with.

"It's all in good spirit and has gone above and beyond what we expected it to."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

First stage of Tarawera sewerage scheme complete

09 May 05:17 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua man named as victim of Waikato crash

09 May 12:49 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

BoP under heavy rain warning, possible thunderstorms

09 May 12:40 AM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

First stage of Tarawera sewerage scheme complete

First stage of Tarawera sewerage scheme complete

09 May 05:17 AM

The first homes are expected to be connected by the end of June.

Rotorua man named as victim of Waikato crash

Rotorua man named as victim of Waikato crash

09 May 12:49 AM
BoP under heavy rain warning, possible thunderstorms

BoP under heavy rain warning, possible thunderstorms

09 May 12:40 AM
'We are not an airline': Council waives airport fees, denies loan request

'We are not an airline': Council waives airport fees, denies loan request

09 May 12:33 AM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP