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Attractions
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Exhibition Gallery - Ngā Waru Pū Manawa GalleryNgā Waru Pū Manawa Gallery showcases visiting short-term exhibitions. It also tells the story of the famous Te Arawa ancestor, Ngatoroirangi, and celebrates the lives of Whakarewarewa’s famous guides. Recently redeveloped for short-term exhibitions, the gallery allows Te Puia the unique opportunity to partner with other museums and cultural institutions while acknowledging the rich history of our region and the significance of the people of the Whakarewarewa Valley. Currently, Kupe Sites is showing in the gallery. It is an exhibition developed and toured by the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa). Kupe Sites celebrates the great Polynesian voyager’s connections with Aotearoa (New Zealand). Kupe is regarded by many iwi (tribes) as one of the ancestors who discovered this country. This exhibition explores the fascinating stories of Kupe’s voyages and encounters here, through names of various landmarks and places including the name ‘Aotearoa’. Kupe is of immense importance to the many iwi who trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back to him. His stories celebrate a remarkable voyager who settled a new land and charted a route through the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand for later navigators to follow. To complement Kupe Sites, Te Puia has developed a section of Ngā Waru Pū Manawa Gallery that looks at the arrival of Te Arawa waka and the subsequent journey of Ngatoroirangi, the tohunga (spiritual expert) aboard the waka. The tradition of Ngatoroirangi maps the geothermal system between Whakaari (White Island) and the mountains of the central plateau, particularly Mount Tongariro. The final section of Ngā Waru Pū Manawa Gallery is a wahi maumahara (memorial space) This space is dedicated to the Valley’s internationally famous guides, including Guide Rangi and Maggie Papakura. |
