Small group tour of New Zealand exploring Maori and Wairua
Escorted 14 day small group tour of New Zealand. Off the beaten track, for curious about history, culture and spirituality. For mature couples and solo travellers,
From $11,257USD

Highlights
- 1. Explore temperate rain forest in Waitakere including the Kauri tree habitat and the west coach beach of Karekare
- 2. See and learn about the Uenuku, one of the oldest Maori carvings in New Zealand
- 3. Explore Queen Charlotte sound on a 75-year old Kauri classic launch called “Tutanekai"
- 4. Spend days on the South Island, West Coast, Ponamu country with senior members of local Maori

Departure Dates
Departure Date | Price |
---|---|
06 November 2023 Ends 20 November 2023 • 15 days $11,257 Twin $12,316 Single Available | Selected |
04 March 2024 Ends 21 March 2024 • 18 days $11,257 Twin $12,316 Single Available | |
16 September 2024 Ends 01 October 2024 • 16 days $11,257 Twin $12,316 Single Available | |
04 November 2024 Ends 19 November 2024 • 16 days $11,257 Twin $12,316 Single Available |
Small Group tour of New Zealand; exploring Maori and Wairua
Welcome to the Land of the Long White Cloud, Aoteroa or New Zealand. We begin this escorted small group tour for mature and senior travellers in Auckland.
Michelle Cotton is Odyssey's program leader for this 15 day journey through New Zealand. This program takes in some stunning landscapes and amazing places but is not a regular tour of tourist stop after tourist stop. Whilst Odyssey Traveller small group tours of New Zealand and all around the world have a significant historical, cultural and environmental learning base this program is more about the role of spirituality, your personal journey which is why Michelle is leading this tour.
On this program we start in Auckland and finish the tour in Queenstown. Visiting and exploring Tongariro, Kaikoura and Castle hill, places of significant importance to the Maori. You have the opportunity to stay on the Marae and enjoy the unique Dawn celebration at Auckland's Bastion point.
The days itineraries have been thought out to bring about time to consider change, time for reflection, time to take you out of your comfort zone to create a place where you can explore yourself. This is why the days are planned to create the opportunity for your to personally explore. There are other small group touring programs offered by Odyssey that will share the history of the place, this program is about you and a chance to travel the length of New Zealand and explore who you are and shift your perspective and consider what level of wellness is relevant for you. Your program leader will be encouraging you to meditate and explore your world with Michelle on at least one private and personal session during the tour program.
Spiritual Concepts of the Maori
The Maori conception of the spiritual nature of man is a matter of considerable interest. The Maori has ever recognized an immortal element in man, which styles the wairua. Indeed, Maori may be said to have held the theory of the tripartite nature of man—body, soul, and spirit being his tinana, mauri, and wairua.
Wairua also means “shadow.” The wairua of a person is that which leaves his body at death, never to return. It also leaves his body for brief periods during his life—that is, when he dreams—and is a more active force than the mauri. Spirits of the dead that do not immediately proceed to the spirit-world but lurk round the village home in the form of ghosts are termed kehua. The mauri of a person differs from his wairua, for it cannot leave the body during life. It is his life-principle, or vital spark, and so is sometimes referred to as mauri ora, or living mauri.
This small group tour will be accompanied by an Odyssey tour guide and are joined by expert local guides who will impart their knowledge about the places we will visit. Odyssey conducts educational tours designed for small groups of mature and senior travellers, focusing on history, culture, wildlife and other areas of particular interest where the trip is taking place. A small group tour is typically between 6 to 15 people. The cost of an Odyssey Traveller guided tour is inclusive of all entrances (unless otherwise indicated), tipping, and majority of the meals throughout the trip.
This particular tour has periods of free time built into the itinerary, allowing you explore some destinations at your own pace, and choose from a variety of available activities. This way, we make sure that there is something to enjoy for every kind of traveller.
This Maori philosophy towards health is based on a wellness or holistic health model. With its strong foundations and four equal sides, the symbol of the wharenui illustrates the four dimensions of Māori well-being. Should one of the four dimensions be missing or in some way damaged, a person, or a collective may become ‘unbalanced’ and subsequently unwell. For many Māori modern health services lack recognition of taha wairua (the spiritual dimension). In a traditional Māori approach, the inclusion of the wairua, the role of the whānau (family) and the balance of the hinengaro (mind) are as important as the physical manifestations of illness.
Seeing health as a four-sided concept representing four basic beliefs of life, summarised in the model below:
Te Taha Hinengaro (psychological health),
Te Taha Wairua (spiritual health),
Te Taha Tinana (physical health),
Te Taha Whanau (family health).
During this small group tour of New Zealand these four elements of wellness are discussed and considered by the group and on a personal level in the places visited and the discussions had during the touring program.
Accommodation
New Zealand is well known for its network of boutique lodges and small charming hotels as well as traditional hotel style accommodation types. For this program we have selected accommodation that represents good value, is close to where we need to be, has some but not many amenities that the group need and has a good reputation for looking after travellers who are visiting and finally has rooms with terrific beds to sleep in after a day in the open air. We trust you enjoy the choices we have made that are above our usual choice of hotel to stay in.
Articles about the New Zealand published by Odyssey Traveller:
- Questions about New Zealand
- Foundations for democracy in New Zealand: 900s - 1945
- Preparing for a walking holiday
For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.
External articles to assist you on your visit to New Zealand:
Gallery









Itinerary
15 days
Day 1 : Auckland
Accommodation: Heritage Hotel or similar
Haere mai ki Aotearoa – welcome to the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Upon at arrival at Auckland International Airport you will meet your guide and transfer to your inner city hotel. New Zealand’s largest and most multicultural city. Auckland is an urban environment where everyone lives within half an hour of beautiful beaches, hiking trails and a dozen of islands. Auckland’s vast harbour, quiet islands and vibrant cityscape offer an exciting and accessible mix of urban, water and wildlife activities.
We stay 3 nights at the Heritage Auckland Hotel, set within one of the city’s most recognisable historic landmark buildings, the iconic Farmers department store building.
Day 2: Auckland
Accommodation: Heritage Hotel or similar
Today we have a tour of the Maori collection at the Auckland war memorial museum with a local guide. This afternoon we have a guided tour around Auckland to explore the city further. There will be free time in the afternoon for a gallery visit or opportunity to walk around the city.
Day 3: Auckland
Accommodation: Heritage Hotel or similar
Day 4 : Auckland - Taupo
Accommodation: Tauhara Retreat
Day 5: Taupo
Accommodation: Tauhara Retreat
We enjoy breakfast at the retreat before heading to Mt Titiraupenga where local iwi will welcome us to their sacred land. Mount Titiraupenga, long known by Maori to be the centre of the North Island, is home to a sacred area of mature native bush, 600 year old Totara trees.
This mystical and totally private setting is where we like to arrange a formal welcome, powhiri, followed by a ‘sharing session’.
The main warrior is the master carver for the local Ngati Tuwharetoa tribe – Delani Brown. A gentle, humble, and spiritual man. In Maori tribes the carver is second only to the chief, as the carver is the guardian of the stories and traditions, which he keeps alive in his work.
This is a special event for the group to experience. The remainder of the day is free to explore Taupo at your own pace.
Day 6: Wellington
Accommodation: Wellesley Hotel or similar
Day 7: Picton
Accommodation: Furneaux Lodge
We take the inter island ferry this morning to Picton. Upon arrival into Picton we will make our way to the marina to meet our hosts for the next two days.
This is an exhilarating two days as a group as we explore beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound with Pete and Takutai, a Maori family, operating personalised Eco-Tours on a 75-year old Kauri classic launch called “Tutanekai”. They will share with us stories of the area and also do some shell fish gathering to eat on board. We will have a picnic lunch in stunningly beautiful Ship Cove surrounded by virgin bush, Captain Cook’s favourite anchorage in the South Pacific.
In the afternoon we take a guided walk with Takutai who has an affinity with the native birds that live in the bush and is very spiritually in tune.
We will then will be dropped at Furneaux Lodge for our overnight stay in the Marlborough Sounds.
Nestled in the outer reaches of the Queen Charlotte Sound, in the heart of New Zealand’s stunning Marlborough Sounds, Furneaux Lodge is the first stop on the renowned Queen Charlotte Track. Looking out over the calm, clear waters of Endeavour Inlet, the Lodge is surrounded by 2000 acres of native virgin forest which has been unchanged since Captain Cook’s first visit to the inlet in 1769. Built in the early 1900’s at the foot of it’s namesake Mount Furneaux, Furneaux Lodge is set on 3 acres of the flattest and most picturesque scenery in the Marlborough Sounds. Part of the beauty of this historic destination is the isolation – no roads lead to Furneaux Lodge.
Day 8: Kaikoura
Accommodation: The White Morph
Day 9: Castle Hill
Accommodation: Porters Lodge or similar
Day 10: Hokitika via Arthur's Pass
Accommodation: Beachfront Hotel or similar
Day 11: Bruce Bay
Accommodation: Te Tauraka Waka, a Maui Marae
Day 12: Central Otago (Lauder)
Accommodation: Lauder School Bed & Breakfast
Day 13: Queenstown
Accommodation: Novotel Queenstown or similar
Day 14: Queenstown
Accommodation: Novotel Queenstown or similar
Day 15: Queenstown
Tour concludes after breakfast today.
Includes / Excludes
What’s included in our Tour
- 14 nights accommodation.
- 14 breakfasts, 10 dinners.
- Transport by modern and comfortable coach.
- Entrances and sightseeing as specified.
- Services of a Tour Leader for the duration of tour
- Detailed Preparatory Information
What’s not included in our Tour
- Return international airfare and departure taxes.
- Comprehensive travel insurance.
- Items of a personal nature, such as telephone calls and laundry
Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, be in good health, mobile and able to participate in 3-5 hours of physical activity per day, the equivalent of walking / hiking up to 8 kilometers per day on uneven ground.
Book now
Make it a private tour
Easing your journey
Crossing international borders with restrictions
The list of requirements to travel internationally has changed and will continue to change for several years. Odyssey is here to assist you in managing your way through these requirements:
For more information see our Crossing international borders with restrictions page.
Book With Confidence
If less than 30 days before your tour starts you are unable to travel as a result of Government travel restrictions, Odyssey Traveller will assist you with a date change, provide you with a credit or process a refund for your booking less any non-recoverable costs.
See Terms and conditions for details.
Peace of Mind Travel
The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.
See Peace of Mind Travel for details.
Reading List Download PDF
History and Traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast, North Island of New Zealand Prior to 1840
Stephenson Percy Smith
Excerpt from History and Traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast, North Island of New Zealand Prior to 1840
This history is much longer than perhaps suits the ordinary reader indeed, it is over a hundred pages more than was originally contemplated. But the amount of information collected will prove of interest to those living in the localities mentioned in after times; and it could never be collected again, for the old men who gave it have now passed on to Te Hono-i-wairua.
To others than members of the Polynesian Society it is right to say that the book has been published in the Society's Journal by instalments - it would otherwise never have appeared on account of the expense - and that the number of maps in it is due to the liberality of the Government, who had them drawn and printed at their expense.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
New Zealand: People, Places and Events that Shaped the History of New Zealand
James Boyle
New Zealand is a country that has forever been admired for its beautiful landscapes – a wilderness that barely seems to be touched by humans. The populated areas are surrounded by forests, plains, rocky mountains – even beaches. All of this gives New Zealand that heavenly vibe.
However, the place we admire today has been heavily affected by its history. People who wanted to farm the land versus people who wanted to keep the land the way it is. A land that, despite the wars it had been through, has managed to hang on to its beauty.
Packed with colonization, war and expansion, the history of New Zealand is something everyone should know and study in this day and age.
The Penguin History of New Zealand
Michael King
New Zealand was the last country in the world to be discovered and settled by humankind. It was also the first to introduce full democracy. Between those events, and in the century that followed, the movements and conflicts of human history have been played out more intensively and more rapidly in New Zealand than anywhere else on Earth.
The Penguin History of New Zealand tells that story in all its colour and drama. The narrative that emerges is an inclusive one about men and women, Maori and Pakeha. It shows that British motives in colonising New Zealand were essentially humane; and that Maori, far from being passive victims of a 'fatal impact', coped heroically with colonisation and survived by selectively accepting and adapting what Western technology and culture had to offer.
Pounamu Pounamu
Witi Ihimaera
Pounamu Pounamu is classic Ihimaera. First published om 1972, it was immediately endorsed by Maori and Pakeha alike for its original stories that showed how important Maori identity is for all New Zealanders. As Katherine Mansfield did in her first collection In a German Pension (1911), and Janet Frame in The Lagoon (1951), Witi Ihimaera explores in Pounamu Pounamu what it is like to be a New Zealander - but from a Maori perspective. The seeds of Ihimaera's later works are first introduced in this ground-breaking collection: The Whale Rider in his story 'The Whale', The Rope of Man in 'Tangi', and the character of Simeon form Bulibasha, King of the Gypsies in 'One Summer Morning'; and the themes of aroha (love), whanaungatanga (kinship) and manaakitanga (supporting each other), which are so intergral to Ihimaera's work.
Do They Speak English Down There?
Susan C. Tunney
Read how one family transformed a fantasy into reality when they traded in their San Diego lifestyle to move to rural New Zealand along with the challenges it presented adapting to a new culture. From duct tape to #8 wire, its been one helluva journey.