Art & Craft New Zealand Cultural Tour - Adult

Experience a tour with a difference as you are offered an intimate insight into New Zealand culture. Meet renowned Maori artists and explore their studio, visit the site of century-old weavers and stop at an art museum to gain an insight in New Zealand’s artistic heritage!

Enjoy a unique and unforgettable touring experience that goes off the beaten track to discover the hidden secrets of our culture and heritage. On the day of your tour, you’ll be collected from Wellington CBD and transported to our first stop. You’ll arrive at the home of the Maori family – Hetet whanau. Whilst here, you’ll discover a treasured Maori art tradition that spans three centuries and five generations! They’ll open their art studio and home to you in a way that will stay with you forever. Discover why Maori art is inseparable from Maori culture and see first-hand how this family is taking its creative legacy into the future. This unique tour includes demonstrations of Maori arts and craft and even an opportunity to take home your on piece of Maori culture.

At our next stop, we’ll journey back more than a century to uncover another inspiring family story and a fascinating slice of New Zealand’s European history – Stansborough Weavers. This boutique mill makes fine wool fabrics for American and European fashion houses using looms from the 1890s (the only looms of their type still working commercially in the world). Stansborough Weavers has helped bring films like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia to life with its old-world fabrics.

We’ll top off your experience by visiting The New Dowse Art Museum, where cutting-edge art sits alongside an ancient pataka (Maori storehouse). The museum itself is a storehouse of creativity and culture, where you can see what it means to be a New Zealander through the eyes of diverse artists. Whilst here, you’ll have the opportunity to indulge in some of Wellington’s best coffee at the museum café before embarking on a guided tour of the gallery’s highlights.

At the end of the tour, you’ll be returned to Wellington CBD and you’ll feel all the more worldly for experiencing a slice of New Zealand culture!