Pepeha Journeys
Kia Ora! Ko Luke Rikiti toku nei ingoa - my name is Luke Rikiti and I am the director of Pepeha Journeys or as we like to call it, PJs! We connect people with the Māori culture through our Tiaki Promise tours. We operate a 3.5hr and a 5hr tour.
The Tiaki Promise tours take the visitor through what it means to be a guardian of New Zealand, a Tiaki! Tiaki means to care for people and place. The tours help connect visitors to the Māori culture through experiential learning, providing an active hands on approach. The aim is to empower our visitors to become guardians of New Zealand during their time here with us in NZ. The tours operate in a local traditional setting and include the use of augmented reality to help express the Māori worldview. One tour is 3.5 hours long and the other is 5 hours.
A brief description of the tour: Enter the Māori world under the guidance of our Ngāti Whakaue ancestors at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa (sacred waters of Ngāti Whakaue) with a karakia or prayer. The prayer will seek safe passage while travelling through our tribal territory.
Enter the realm of Tane-Mahuta the God of Forests and Birds. Learn about the Māori connection with nature and the natural world. Feel the living essence of Tane!
Enter a spiritual Meeting House on tribal lands and experience the cultural protocols and lores first-hand. Enjoy learning about the Māori culture with the comfort of your local guide. End your experience with us with a Kawakawa Tea Ceremony and farewell at the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa Café.