Te Papa and Māori Treasures have combined resources to offer a new full-day tour designed specfically to meet the needs of the interactive traveller, and fill a gap in the Wellington tourist market.
The package called Journey with our Ancestors includes transfers, a hosted tour of Māori Treasures in Lower Hutt, lunch, and a one-hour guided tour of Te Papa with a Māori culture specialist.
During the visit to Māori Treasures, guests learn about both traditional and contemporary Māori arts through conversations with local carvers and weavers. Guests are also given the opportunity for hands-on participation in these arts.
The Te Papa experience will include an in-depth look at the Mana Whenua and Signs and Wonders | He Tohu He Ohorere exhibtions. Visitors then have two hours free time to expore the rest of Te Papa.
‘This interactive tour provides a rare insight into both the traditional and contemporary lifestyles of Māori,’ said Te Papa Chief Executive, Dr Seddon Bennington, ‘this experience is real.'
The tour was developed as a result of conversations with Tourism New Zealand, Positively Wellington Tourism, and the tourism industry. All research indicated that a day tour with a cultural focus would fill a gap in the Wellington market.
‘The challenge as always is to deliver a fresh, quality product, and the combination of Te Papa’s scholarship and the intimacy and hands-on focus of Māori Treasures achieves this balance,’ said Kataraina Hetet, CEO of Māori Treasures.
Journey with our Ancestors has already received significant market interest.
The product retails for $210 per person, is fully commissionable, and will be marketed through the standard distribution chain.
Contact:
Paul Brewer, Director, Communications and Marketing, Te Papa ph: 04 381 7023, Mobile: 021 532 920.
Kataraina Hetet, Māori Treasures, ph: 04 939 9630, fax: 04 939 9631.