Te Pā Tū offers 3.5 hour evening experiences that change with each season of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar. Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within our forest Pā (village) - its towering Tawa trees, blazing bonfires, and forest-formed amphitheatre. Traditional hāngi joins seasonal Māori delicacies prepared with fusion cooking techniques. Cultural knowledge unique to each season is shared through rituals, songs, stories across the evening as is local, seasonal kai (food) - plentiful and delicious. Kai horotai (indigenous canapes) are followed by a torch lit walk to a lavish 4-course Māori fusion feast.
Tū Te Ihi – Winter Matariki Celebration: Tū Te Ihi references the energy and passion stirred by the Matariki cluster and the promise they herald. Tū Te Ihi celebrates a moment in the earth’s cycle when the stars of Matariki (Pleiades) draw our attention. Matariki conjures our ancestors as we recall their legacy, and reflect on the year that has been.
Tū Te Rā – Summer Harvest Celebration: Tū Te Rā is a summer celebration, aligned with the maramataka – the Māori lunar calendar. This is a time when the sun expresses optimal energy, the days are longer, and light nourishes the natural world. Tū Te Rā celebrates the abundant harvest of this season, and explores concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace in a feast of culture and cuisine.