Māori Whakataū Welcome: An Authentic Connection to Indigenous Culture in New Zealand

Experience an authentic Māori Whakataū welcome in Wanaka and Queenstown. Connect deeply with New Zealand’s indigenous culture and people. Book your cultural journey today.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 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…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
What's Not Included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Authentic Māori Bone Carving of your experience
  • WanaHaka Tea Towel Souvenir
Additional Information

The Whakataū, a Māori welcoming tradition, provides an introduction to New Zealand via its indigenous culture. This ceremony plays a significant role in creating a substantial bond with the nations inhabitants for visitors to New Zealand, especially in Wanaka and Queenstown. Undoubtedly, the landscapes contribute to the country’s attractiveness, but a…

Location
#ThatWanakaTree
Wanaka Mount Aspiring Road
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(78 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Adventure444820
Apr 7, 2026
MUST DO!!! - This was such a life giving experience and a MUST if you are in Wanaka or the southern island of New Zealand. Now I know much more about Wanaka and the culture on New Zealand. I am now a part of the culture and history of Wanaka because of this experience with Joe. Thank you again Joe for the wonderful welcome and experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U9599xtscottd
Apr 7, 2026
Must do! Joe is amazing!! You won’t regret this awesome experience. - Joe was absolutely amazing. He is incredibly talented, knowledgeable, and personable, and he truly made everyone feel welcome, valued, and empowered throughout the experience. You can tell he genuinely cares about what he does and about the people he shares his culture with. It’s honestly hard to put into words how special this experience was. Joe has a gift for teaching in a way that is engaging, meaningful, and memorable. We left not only having learned something new, but also feeling inspired and grateful. It’s pretty incredible that he takes the time to do this work and share his knowledge and culture so generously. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting the area. It was a highlight of our trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angelaas583ja
Mar 4, 2026
Highly recommend - This made my trip. I recommend that everyone who visits Queenstown add this experience to your itinerary. Joe is a wonderful teacher. His enthusiasm, knowledge and charisma really helps to bring the Māori culture to you. People of all ages will love him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure08500413795
Mar 2, 2026
The best 1 man experience you didnt know you needed 🙏🏽 Ka pai brother - Joe was the absolute full experience for this american group we had here in Queenstown for a retreat. Not only did he give us 3 different Haka's, we got a full breakdown of the language and meaning behind the Haka, with a lesson in Te Reo Maori in the fun kiwi kinda way. Thank you again my brother, definitely worth the experience we all had together with him. A must DO experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stacybj6131nf
Mar 2, 2026
Learning is fun! - Joe came and presented to my group and educated us about his culture. Such a wonderful experience 😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patrick81277
Mar 2, 2026
Amazing experience - Joe is an amazing human and cultural ambassador. We hired him to do some authentic Māori welcome ceremonies. It was one of the most special experiences of our trip. I highly recommend him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolinehq5327xc
Jan 10, 2026
Can't miss experience - We had a fantastic experience along the lake with Joe. There were only four of us and it was a very intimate experience. He was passionate, knowledgable and friendly. We all learned so much. I highly recommend for anyone visiting this part of NZ. The personal stories he shared about his life and the Māori people made us feel connected to the beautiful surroundings and made our trip feel complete!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Billhn5741ll
Jan 8, 2026
Special Night for Our Family - Wow! Our family was blessed last night by having Joe perform and educate us on the Māori culture and history. His passion and knowledge were exceptional plus he has a wonderful sense of humor. A special night from a special man
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simon
Oct 24, 2025
The best Maori welcome ever! - 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.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Evijav2019
Oct 23, 2025
Authentic and fascinating - 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.
Review provided by Tripadvisor