New Zealand
A World Apart
Culture
Rugby
Parliament
How important is Culture in New Zealand?
Culture is extreamely important to New Zealanders especially to Maori people. They carefully preserve the arts crafts and traditions of there ancestors ensuring that the cultural aspects of life are passed from generation to generation.
Performances
Many Maori tribes undertake regular cultural performances both for tribal significance and in some cases for tourist interest. One of the best performances I saw whilst in New Zealand was the Tamaki Tours Maori Hangi and Concert. This performance invited the audience to become a Maori for the night and try out traditional hobbies and also eat Hangi (See Below).
Hangi
On special occasions Maori people will eat Hangi, which is food cooked in an earth oven. A hole in dug and red hot rocks are placed in the pit. Food is then placed on top of the rocks and the hole is filled in. 5 - 6 hours later the food is dug out and eaten; Hangi is a surprisingly tasty meal despite the rich earthy taste.