Guide Profiles
- Shane Marshall
Shane believes hospitality can be summed up in this whakatauki “Moumou kai, moumou tāonga, moumou tangata ki te pō.”
- Molly Taiapa
Aunty Molly, as she is affectionately known, is the warm face that greets visitors at the Tomokanga (Entranceway) here at Te Puia.
Our People
He aha te mea nui o te ao? Māku e kī ana, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
(What is the most important thing of all? It is people, it is people, it is people.)
In the Māori world, connections between people are integral to the fabric of our culture. Whakapapa (shared origins) define that world, and these relationships are maintained and honoured throughout the generations.
At Te Puia you will experience this world, where our guides proudly recount stories handed down from their tipuna (ancestors). These are the people who will welcome you and befriend you. Through this connection you too will become part of the heritage that is Te Puia.
Today’s Te Puia is building on its foundations of openness and hospitality, offering new ways to experience and interact with Māori culture and the natural environment of the Whakarewarewa valley.
Te Puia offers you, through our people, our art and our many onsite experiences, an opportunity to sense our history and feel our living culture. You will walk in the footprints of our ancestors, and you will see their heritage in the faces of their descendants alongside you.
