About Us
“Hei whakarahi atu moohou te marae I waho ra. Pere taku titiro te au kai te moana o Hinemoana Tai o nga muri kei marutata te whakatau ki te iwi Nau mai, haere mai”
“To uphold you on the court yard out there. My gaze darts forth to the ocean current of the ocean maiden The seas in the north where I will draw nigh and direct my way to the new tribe Welcome, welcome”
“Toitu te marae a Tane, toi tu te marae a Tangaroa, toitu te Iwi”
Proper use of Tane’s domain, of Tangaroa’s realm, ensures humanity’s survival
Our vision:
To bring the world to our home "Taiamai"
Our Mission:
To provide all visitors to the Bay of Islands with an unforgettable Ngapuhi experience, through involving them in our daily cultural practices.
Our Values:
To always practice a behavior which acknowledges the mana (prestige) of others as having equal or even greater importance than one’s own, through the expression of Aroha (Love), generosity and mutual respect for only through behavior such as this will we uplift the status of all, building unity through humility and the act of giving.
Over arching goals:
People, Performance, Partnerships Taiamai Tours Heritage Journey’s is incorporated under the Companies Act 1993 and is registered as Taiamai Tours Heritage Journeys ltd.
The concept was founded by Ngati Hineira – Te Uri Taniwha descendant Hone Mihaka of Ohaeawai Kaikohe in 2001 who over the last 10 years has worked his way from obscurity to being recognized as a respected leader and chief among his tribal group Ngapuhi and the wider communities of the region of Northland.
His whakapapa (genealogies) can be traced back to the earliest ancestors of Northland and the tribe Ngapuhi nui tonu. Consensus places Ngapuhi nui tonu as the largest confederation of tribal groups in New Zealand with a combined population of 107,000 people. The Northland region exhibits a confederation of tribal networks linked to a diverse economic, political and social structure.
Hone ensures that his Ngapuhi owned and operated company retains strong traditional and customary ancestral ties to the cultural landscapes thus providing the principal setting for a unique Ngapuhi cultural and tourism experience. Our Ngapuhi world view incorporates a universal esoteric system through the interrelatedness of Tangata whenua – the people – the land.
Our ancient customary practices of kaitiakitanga [guardianship] and manaakitanga [hosting people] connects us to our unique ancestral living landscapes of the Bay of Islands and the wider region of Northland. Our Ngapuhi guides and host’s exert control in the natural world by the power of traditional and customary story telling over these taonga tuku iho [gifts handed down from one generation to the next).
We Ngapuhi celebrate our multiplicity of waka associations as part of our identity. The age old customs and traditions of Waka continues to be a symbol of pride and identity for the people of the North in fact for all Tangata whenua – (who are more commonly referred to as Maori today) who celebrate ancestral navigators and adventurers like Kupe of the great Waka migration who left his sacred foot print here in Ngapuhi as a testimony to his existance and ocean prowess.
If we (Tangata whenua) as a distinct grouping are to enter the 21st century as proud indigenous first nations peoples in the contemporary world of business it will be on a path sign posted by our ancestors and founded on their standards, values, customs and traditions.
The only worst thing in the world is not being talked about "Mae West" Taiamai Tours Heritage Journey’s offers an internationally re-known experience of Ngapuhi interaction by recounting the impact of European settlement through reviving the history of our infamous ancestors and chiefs like, Te Wera Hauraki, Hongi Hika, Hone Heke and others.
We share our intergenerational and traditional story telling of heritage landscapes and peopling diversity. We cater to the needs of the inter-active experiences, seekers and traveler category to host, a raw and yet compelling cultural experience with us, the indigenous peoples of Te Ika a Maui Tikiktiki a Taranga.
As guardians of our natural resources. The people of Taiamai (now known as the Bay of Islands) have a genealogical and spiritual relationship with all of the many ancient sites of pre-European residence, sites of cultivation and Pa sites. From this perspective the Bay of Islands is unique and irreplaceable.
Taiamai Tours Heritage Journeys key message 100% pure proudly made in (Aotearoa NZ) forging a pathway with genuine and real credentials to be out there in the tourism industry. We have established our intellectual property rights in terms of our originality, it is fresh!! We are the pure story tellers of our history and in a compelling way we spread the word to our domestic and international customers.
Tourism is a major contributer to the economy of Northland and can make significant contributions to the social sector of our indigenous communities through out our beautiful region. This can also provide a remarkable future enabling us to bounce back with re-known vigor connected and yet not affected by the challenges of the day.
Our new millennium development goals aim to mobilize stakeholders in partnership with the private sector including all organizations in all other sectors. Marketing is an art, distribution, pricing margins new product new ideas and packaging is ongoing. It is not a science, we have to have it.
He tirohanga matarae, he kitenga mutunga kore.
"Only from a high promontory, is the view indeed endless"
The plethora of getting hooked on what can go wrong ecourages thinking and problem solving. Barriers are not intimidating or over whelming. I don’t expect anyone to endorse our business model if they cannot see the big picture. We are better to excite rather than to be bland and expectable to all. We have picked our audience and intend to excite the entire world. The big will grow from where the big does not yet exist. We had little financial backing so we had to think, building our credentials from the flax roots up and we did it with pride. We took up the challenge and dared to interface between business and our communities, to find that businesses can make the community sustainable.
We aspire to be the friendliest business, to champion the expansion our intellectual credibility and capability. We focus on environmental sensitivities by reconciling our business activities to minimize negative environmental and social impacts and maximize long term sustainable benefits for our indigenous community.
Sharing our cultural experience has re'enforced our own understanding of ourselves as a people. We now utilize the community interface which links to business and education reultuing in more positive and acheivable sustainable long term goals and benefits.
We continue chasing and achieving real goals, being inventive and resourceful. Our rural tribal background makes us think and act quicker. We are not intimidated by Paris or New York, by white men and others. We are a part of New Zealands future and growth. We are Ngapuhi and we are from Taiamai "the Bay of Islands"
I hora ake te marae nui atea o Taiamai, mai i te kahui maunga ki Tangaroa. Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au
The ancient court yard of Taiamai is indeed vast extending from the forest clad foothills to the sparkling crystal like sea. I am the land and the land is me!!.....
