A very special West Coast Māori cultural experience.
Our Māori tour guides will share ancient legends and help you find greenstone, New Zealand’s most coveted treasure on a guided walk along the sacred Arahura River.
Your local guides have a unique connection to the Arahura river known as one of the richest sources of Pounamu and the local area that goes back many generations and enjoy sharing their knowledge and love of Te tai o Poutini (West Coast) and the Arahura River.
You will be able to find small pieces of Pounamu (Greenstone), learn to carve this precious stone into a necklace, and keep this taonga (treasure) to cherish.
For the Kati Waewae tribe Pounamu is said to be a peace stone and a vessel for good things. However, there was a time when it was used as a weapon of war; now it is a peace stone once more.
Our Arahura Greenstone Tours operate all year round, weather permitting.
Hokitika Māori Culture Tours
You will begin at Arahura Bridge Heritage Park. From there you will be guided through the Arahura Pa (Tribal village) and then on a journey along the Arahura River while learning the history of the Kati Waewae Hapu.
Our guides will
- Share their local knowledge with you, which includes the history of the region and the Arahura River.
- On the tour you will hear the beautiful bird song of the native birds that live near the river and the guides will explain what bird was singing or calling.
- Give you the opportunity to soak your feet in a river that is free from contaminants and the impact of modern man.
- Show you how to identify greenstone in its natural environment.
- Reveal the legends of the Arahura river greenstone that are sacred to the Kati Waewae Hapu.
- Finally, on the piece of stone that you found, you have an opportunity to crave a motif reflective of you and your tour journey.
Refreshments will be provided at the end of our tour.
Our guided tours are an easy walk over flat ground and river stones.
But please be prepared to get your feet wet, however, this is all part of your Greenstone Tour Experience
Tours available
Private Tours
These are arranged to suit both the customer and our guides time table and have the flexibility to cater for everyone’s needs, so are not restricted to set time slots. It is a matter of contacting us and making a suitable time.
Bus or Group Tours
These are pre organised well in advance to suit the bus or group tour itinerary. We have selected package tour operators we work with.
School Group Tours
We have several packages that are reflective of the needs of school groups and work with the schools organising a tour to ensure that we meet their educational requirements whilst remaining true to our beliefs and culture.
Understanding our tour ethos
Our tours do not have all the bells and whistles of a commercialised tour operation, as we believe this contradicts the integrity of what we are trying to achieve for the Arahura Pa and the direct descendants who either live on the Pa or nearby. We are a traditional Pa and are proud of both our identity and customs that define who we are and are not into over commercialisation. What you see, is what you get. We are, who we are and proud to stand by our beliefs. Our aim is to provide a pathway for self-sufficiency of our families and retain the true cultural identity of the Kati WaeWae Hapu.
What do you need to bring
- Warm clothing
- Sensible footwear
- Camera
- A smile!
