Inclusive of the authentic traditions of the Maori community of New Zealand, Maori culture has a history of over 700 years. The Maori community comprises of Polynesian people whose native language is Te reo Maori. Extracting its origin from the Te Whakarewarewa Valley’s heritage, Te Puia is a Maori Arts & Crafts institute offering an unparalleled insight into the Maori culture, providing the ultimate opportunity to gain some knowledge about the generations’ history of the Maori people.

Ranking high in the long list of things to see and do in Rotorua, this Maori Arts & Crafts institute seeks to encourage, promote and foster all the aspects of Maori culture, its practices and appreciation of Maori crafts and arts. The institute mainly focuses on training Maori people in these unique arts and crafts, hosting exhibitions, providing demonstrations and assisting in the preservation of this valued culture.

Through arts and crafts the stories of Maori culture are told and passed down through generations. It is how its genealogy and traditions are preserved. Maori carvers usually work with wood, stone and bone applying basic carving patterns that were introduced to New Zealand from Hawaiki, the ancestral homeland of Maoris.

The institute showcases Maori history woven and carved into canoes, meeting houses, jewellery and weapons. Maori guides escort visitors through the weaving and carving schools, the Maori village, galleries and the Kiwi enclosure. Having nurtured generations of budding Maori artists and served as a platform for showcasing and selling authentic Maori art, the institute has developed into one of the leading Maori cultural tourist attractions in New Zealand.