This family company has taken numerous honors in the New Zealand Tourism Awards. The re-created, pre-settlement Maori village, 20 minutes from the city, presents tribal life as it used to be. Carving, weaving, moko (tattooing), singing, dancing, chanting, and cooking are all part of the living-village experience. At night, you can enjoy one of the best Maori performances and genuine hangi meals in Rotorua. The "Chronicles of Uitara",? in Rotorua itself, is a blend of guided tour, character theater, and storytelling on a series of indoor sets. You get to experience the lifestyle and warrior traditions of pre-European times, as well as the story of Uitara IV'??s campaign for a place within a rebel warrior cult, destined to change Aotearoa forever. It is an ideal scene setter or follow-up to the village experience, and this is where the evening tours begin. The Tamaki operation is now very large and commercial, which may not appeal to some, but theyâ??re still very professional; and if you miss them in Rotorua, you can visit Tamaki Heritage Village in Christchurch, which opened in 2007 and features a different part of the early Maori story.