Students Visit Manea Cultural Experience
International students from Kerikeri High School and Whangārei Girls’ High School recently travelled to Northland’s Hokianga to visit Manea, Footprints of Kupe.
The group was welcomed by local Māori guides and guided with stories about the local area, history and carvings while journeying to the theatre space where they took part in a powhiri.
The interactive 4D show which includes sprays of water, smoke, vibrations and the smell of the sea, was a high point for many students, with the consolidating their Te Ao Māori learnings from school and Marae experiences, since arriving in Tai Tokerau to study.
Comment from Lina from Germany:
“It was an amazing experience!. It was so nice to get to know the Māori culture through the tour. I really liked the inclusion of different artists their art work truly amazed me, there was so much detail in them! The experience brought me closer to the Māori culture I got to know the amazing stories behind the different gods. Also the 4d show was a wonderful experience, we were all a part of the show and it was a fantastic performance. In the show the two performers also danced and it was so nice.”
Manea, Footprints of Kupe Education Programmes
The Manea experience provides links to multiple areas of the Marautanga Māori and New Zealand Curriculum. Schools and groups are warmly welcomed to Manea with a pōwhiri (traditional welcoming ceremony). They can then engage with local guides to learn about the very beginnings of New Zealand’s history, ask questions, and view the dynamic 4D Theatre presentation, which captures Kupe’s journey to Aotearoa. Following this, you can view the surrounding landscape and capture pictures with the wonderful Hokianga harbour backdrop.
