Māori Whakatau Welcome

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

The Māori Whakataū is a welcome to New Zealand by the indigenous culture of NZ. The Whakataū embraces key aspects of welcoming manuhiri/visitors to New Zealand and making sure you get an authentic connection to the people of this wonderful land and more specifically here in Wanaka and Queenstown. The scenery is one small part of what makes this country so great, to truely connect with any country you must also connect with the people that make the country what it is. Welcome to the world of WanaHaka® in Wanaka and Queenstown.

There is a minimum of 4 required per Whakataū if minimum numbers are not met you will be offered another day or time or complete refund.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Private transportation

Souvenir photos (available to purchase)

Authentic Māori Bone Carving of your experience

WanaHaka Tea Towel Souvenir

What To Expect

Lake Wanaka

In Māori culture we hold two important aspects dear to us. the first being Manaakitanga (Hospitality) and Kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the land) .At WanaHaka® we want you to connect with these 2 important cultural elements. This Pōwhiri can be done in either Queenstown or Wanaka so please do email first as to your preferred location if required. You will be greeted by a Wero/Challenge with a Māori Warrior and Taiaha, from here we move through the key elements of the pōwhiri/welcome where we may start as strangers but by the end we end up as whanaua/family. A truely inspiring cultural experience that combines both the people and the land of Wanaka and Queenstown.

45 minutes • Admission Included

Options

Morning Māori Welcome

See the Central Otago land first travelled by the Māori people and learn about the customs and traditions that still thrive

Afternoon Māori Whakataū

What a way to get your afternoon finished before dinner with a Māori Welcome to the wonderful world of Wanaka.

Reviews

4.94

70 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

The best Maori welcome ever!
Simon B,
Oct 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Each year we bring several groups of cyclists to New Zealand, and when we are in Wanaka, we love taking the opportunity to treat them to this traditional Maori Welcome. In fact, our cyclists often tell us, that of their entire 12 day stay in New Zealand, that this was one of the absolute highlights of their trip.
Authentic and fascinating
evijav2019,
Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Joe is an authentic and enthusiastic Maori and Kiwi dedicated to preserve the indigenous culture and expand important environmental efforts. He offers a truly fascinating and insightful event.
ASA - Captivating and Unforgettable Cultural Experience
837jakic,
Sep 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Joe, our Summit NZ Cultural Welcome performer, was absolutely phenomenal. He was insightful, knowledgeable, and completely charismatic, bringing a vibrant energy that was both entertaining and deeply engaging. Beyond his scheduled performance, Joe continued to mingle effortlessly with our guests, creating meaningful interactions and leaving a lasting impression on everyone. Truly enjoyable and unforgettable – an outstanding experience for all.
Fantastic Experience
mrussell827,
Mar 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Booked the tour online and almost immediately received an email from Joe advising of our pickup time. Joe is a fantastic guide. He firstly greeted us with a Māori Greeting and then went on to explain the greeting. Joe is such a gem. He's friendly and very knowledgeable about his culture as expected and great fun on the tour. Joe went out of his way to book a different winery for us. We recommend Wana haka wine tour to anyone! Thanks, Joe, for a wonderful half day.
5 stars - would recommend!
ioned602,
Feb 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A real must do in Wanaka! The Māori welcome offered both a unique and humorous insight into māori culture. I found this even more educational than other Māori tours and we delved further into the detail of Māori culture which really heightened the enjoyment of my trip.
A rare find on the South Island
Getaway43575531485,
Oct 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great group experience! Super informative and everyone loved it. We went with a group of 10 on the water. Joe was informative, funny, and kind.
A memorable school group presentation
N327TQjasone,
Sep 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Joe was very accommodating of our school group from Australia and gave an excellent, authentic and knowledgable presentation on Māori culture. He delivered with great passion, insight and some mirth along the way, which made the experience very engaging. We look forward to future visits to Wanaka to see Joe once again!
A Memorable Haka Welcome in Queenstown
Escape60988381842,
Aug 5, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Joe welcomed our company into Queenstown with an amazing Haka welcome before we started our work conference. We all learnt so much about his culture and the meaning behind each Haka movement. He was engaging and funny, which was great to have a laugh with him! What an amazing experience, and would highly recommend & do it again. Thanks Joe :)
School information session
Seaside17492789780,
Jul 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Joe presented a really fun, factual and engaging Māori Cultural welcome for our school trip! Definitely recommend for other school groups looking to have a cultural experience.
Great Māori Experience
789layals,
Jun 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Brilliant experience. Learnt so much in an entertaining and captivating way. Highly recommend Joe and the beautiful Wanaka.