Manea Footprints of Kupe

The Manea Centre experience in Opononi, on the edge of the Hokianga harbour is stunning. The carvings on a dramatic trail have to be experienced, as photos don't convey the huge scale of them...the drama. Four carvers each tackling multiple beings, traditional yet very contemporary, highly dimensional. The av show is very engaging (even physically) and powerful. The storyteller/guides and staff are excellent. And there are dozens of mini documentaries on historic and social issues available at the end. It is the perfect introduction to the place and people of Kupe, now a series of small vibrant communities around the historic harbour. Not to be missed, and children would love it.

Excellent presentation, well informed staff. A very worthwhile visit to learn about the history of the people who settled in the Hokianga and Kupe’s journey to NZ.

Beautiful experience for my family and me. The tour was informative and captured the spirit of the Maori people. Our guides were great their performances were perfect. The video and effects show was top notch. It made Disneyland's theater look like child's play. Well worth the money, plus we got some good fish and chips on Opononi. We also got to see the Koutu Boulders.

Amazing place to visit, giving the history of our ancestors. The whole cultural show experience is wonderfully choreographed. The grounds are amazing, especially as they lead to a point that overlooks the Hokianga Harbour.

Honestly SUCH an amazing experience! Learned much more than I thought I would have about Maori culture and Hokianga. It was done in such an in-depth way that kept it entertaining as well as educational. The 4D experience was also a huge surprise! Highly recommend!!! We caught the 10am session and glad we did with the amount of people coming for the afternoon sessions.

Brilliant! Such a fun learning experience. The guide and performers are lovely and do a fantastic job.The carvings and the history of Kupe, the Maori gods and Hokianga are super interesting.Highly recommend this!

We'd previously thoroughly enjoyed both a cultural show & also visited a large Maori centre in Rotorua. However we have to say that Manea was truly excellent. It took a different approach to story telling & incorporated an innovative large scale 4D experience, with talented live performers exceedingly well. We highly recommend this wonderful cultural journey to both domestic & international travellers alike.

We had an incredible experience with tour guides Waikoru and Kahutiate at Manea. It felt very special learning the creation stories from the Hokianga - beautiful carvings, informative and fun storytelling and an amazing theatre/audio/visual performance at the end. Bring a hat and sunscreen for tour around the grounds!

A wonderful experience, bringing together Māori mythology, history and the Hokianga landscape. Expertly brought to life, both through storytelling and interactive experiences. They even looked after our Schnoodle for us! We couldn’t recommend more highly.