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Experience a unique and intimate guided tour through the Waipoua Forest at twilight as you share in the culture connecting the Maori people to their land and forest. Learn firsthand from local Maori about spiritual awareness, history, genealogy and traditional song.
Meet your guide for the evening in Hokianga where you board your coach and travel to Waipoua Forest. On this journey and as you arrive at the forest you will learn about Kupe and his journey from Hawaiiki to Aotearoa. From here you will encounter the mighty Te Matua Ngahere ('The Father of the Forest') estimated to be 2,500 & 3,000 years old and Tane Mahuta ('The Lord of the Forest') who stands an impressive 51 metres (150ft) tall.
Your guide will greet the giant trees with spine-tingling waiata (sacred songs) and share the legends of the forest, of its gods and other spiritual inhabitants.
You will also experience the affinity that early Maori had with the forest and the deep spiritual respect they hold for the giants still growing there. Learn of the rich bird life and other fauna that inhabits the forest and witness the transitions of life and the day turning into the night.
As your continue on your tour you may encounter insects like weta, nocturnal birds, eels, fresh-water lobsters or the giant carnivorous 'kauri' snail.
At the conclusion of this unique encounter you will be returned to Hokianga.
Not suitable for children under 5 years of age.
A minimum of two people are required for the tour to proceed. There will be up to 15 people on your tour.
In the event of rain or inclement weather your experience will still go ahead unless contacted by the experience provider. If your experience is cancelled you will be rescheduled by the provider.
Wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring a warm top, and dress for the weather conditions of the day.
This experience needs a minimum of 2 participants to run.
This experience takes place in the Waipoua Forest, 20 mins from Omapere.
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We want you to have the most enriching experience possible, so if this means swapping your jet boat experience for wine tasting then we’ve got you covered. Simply exchange online or contact our Customer Experience Team and we’ll do the work for you.
Not only do we handpick the best experiences for you, we also guarantee you’ll pay the same as you would buying direct from the experience provider. If you find the same experience advertised at a lower standard price on the same day by the same provider, simply take a screenshot of the experience advertised at the lower price and tell us within 30 days of your purchase and we’ll match it.
We understand life gets busy, which is why all vouchers and gift cards purchased have a 5-year expiry. The only exception to our expiry terms is if the experience has already been booked in. We honour the purchase price of our experiences for 18 months. If you book your experience after this time and the price of the experience increases you can either pay the difference or exchange it for another experience free of charge.
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