Maori Rotorua

Rotorua has a pretty high concentration of Maori people. The Maori people were the ones who made it here before the British. They probably came here from an island in Polynesia in large canoes. They named the land Aotearoa, meaning "land of the long white cloud." Very fitting, I would say.

We were able to see a Maori show while we were in Rotorua.  I have seen these on TV before, but never live.  Their voices sounded amazing in person.  They are wearing traditional Maori outfits and singing in the Maori language.  

In this photo, you may be able to see the white balls being swung around by the women.  They use these in different dances and they are called Poi.  I wish I would have gotten a video of them dancing with those, because it was pretty amazing.

This photo shows some traditional Maori art.  When they would get ready for battle, they would open their eyes really wide and stick out their tongues.  The different swirly designs usually show their family line.