Stray Backpacker Bus | Auckland to Christchurch

Day 3 Raglan – Maketu (Maori Cultural Experience)

Today was another early start.  Everyone who was meant to be on the bus was up and ready by 7:45am which considering the amount of alcohol that had been consumed the night before was quite impressive, although it was clear that some individuals were struggling.  Today we were heading to Maketu for our Maori cultural experience at ‘Uncle Boi’s’.  More on that later.

On the way to Uncle Boi’s we were due to stop off in Waitomo the site of the world renowned glowworm caves.  Stray Travel work closely with a company called Waitomo Adventures which on reading through the brochure on the bus do many caving activities.  Due to the fact that I was travelling through Waitomo without stopping for the night I decided to sign up for one of the 4 hour activities The Waitomo Adventures  Haggas Honking Holes which in the brochure looked the most adventurous.

I tell you now I was not disappointed.  With the help of two highly trained individuals Scott and Dion we went through an initial training stage where we learnt how to tie the ropes securely to the harness and then after a much needed safety briefing headed into Waitomo caves.  From this point onwards it was all downhill (literally) for roughly 3 hours in which our group abseiled, crawled and even swam through caves of various sizes before finally climbing back up to the surface.

I have to say that the thing I loved most about the experience was that you were in complete control the whole time.  Your guides only assist you so you are 100% safe but you always feel like you’re in control of your own destiny.  Along with this the guides from Waitomo Adventures talk to you about the caves, the formations, the history of the area and the wildlife which has evolved in the cave environment.  Dion at one point leapt into a giant underground pool and retrieved a live crayfish.  Random.

After our 4 hour Haggas Honking Holes trip we met with the rest of the group many of whom had done other Waitomo Caves underground activities with a few exploring the surface of Waitomo.  Some of the group even went and watched a rabbit being sheared at the Shearing Shed which was situated just down the road from the activity centre.  I chose not to ask many questions about this activity as if striked me as a bit surreal.  Shortly after finding the whole group we headed to Maketu for our Maori Cultural experience at Uncle Boi’s.

Maketu was a long journey through some areas of stunning scenery.  To pass the time our drive Nick, aka Austin, started up a game of  ‘This is your life’ where we all wrote down three things about ourselves, 2 of which were true, 1 of which was false.  Everyone then voted on which statement they thought was false and then after everyone found out the person in question had to explain the true stories.  Time flew and before we knew it we were at Uncle Boi’s in Maketu.

We were greeted by Uncle Boi himself and then he went through what he had planned for the evening in the way of entertainment.  The concept was a Maori cultural experience where we were served a traditional Hangi before watching a performance.

After this professional performance we were split into groups of boys and girls and then learnt one of two Maori traditions.  The men learnt the iconic Haka and the girls the Poi Dance.  After practising both of these traditions we then had to perform them to the opposite sex.  Seriously, one of the most fun things I’ve done in New Zealand, suffice to say that everyone looked well out of their comfort zone.

After the performance we all got ready for bed.  The whole group stayed in the ceremonial hall resting on mattresses laid on the floor.  Yes you do have to make your own bed.  From here people did their own thing.  Some people headed to the beach, some played cards and some just got drunk.  Whichever way you look at it, everyone had fun and we all looked forward to getting our included breakfast the next morning before heading off on the Stray Backpacker Bus.

• Part 1 Auckland – Hahei
• Part 2 Hahei – Raglan
  

Adam

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1. Nomads Auckland on the road with Stray Travel, part 4
2. Nomads Auckland on the road with Stray Travel, part 8
3. Nomads Auckland on the road with Stray Travel, part 15
4. Nomads Auckland on the road with Stray Travel, part 7
5. Nomads Auckland on the road with Stray Travel, part 14