Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre 7 Day Weather Forecast

Attractions in Timaru, South Canterbury.

This tour is the only opportunity you will have to see authentic Maori rock drawings, and will appeal to guests with an interest in indigenous culture, history, anthropology or archaeology. A large number of New Zealand’s remaining ancient Maori rock art sites lie within half an hour’s drive of Timaru, South Canterbury. Drawings in red and black decorate the pale surfaces of the limestone outcrops and boulders which line the region’s braide...

2 George St
Timaru
South Canterbury
7910

+64 27 231 6937

This tour is the only opportunity you will have to see authentic Maori rock drawings, and will appeal to guests with an interest in indigenous culture, history, anthropology or archaeology.

A large number of New Zealand’s remaining ancient Maori rock art sites lie within half an hour’s drive of Timaru, South Canterbury. Drawings in red and black decorate the pale surfaces of the limestone outcrops and boulders which line the region’s braided river valleys. Mythical beings, such as the fearsome taniwha, are pictured alongside stylized human figures, fish, dogs and long extinct birds such as the flightless moa and pouakai the giant eagle. Dating back to the arrival of Maori in the South Island between 700 to 1000 years ago, and spanning the centuries through to European arrival, the drawings provide a rare glimpse into the lives and culture of our regions’ first inhabitants.

Your journey will begin at Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre where local Maori guides from the Ngai Tahu tribe will share their knowledge of the traditional practice of rock drawing, and the history of Maori settlement in the region. A unique interpretive centre, Te Ana houses eight pieces of Maori rock art removed from sites in the early 1900s, alongside the work of contemporary tribal artists influenced by these ancient designs.

Following your centre visit, you will travel to Opihi to explore the Maori rock art sites in the landscape, and gain an understanding of the lifeways of the people that created them. On a property managed by the local Ngai Tahu Maori tribe you will see drawings which document the history of Maori occupation in the area, from the early ‘Moa-hunter’ period of settlement, through to the time of European arrival. As kaitiaki or guardians of the sites, the Ngai Tahu tribe has initiated a long-term project to protect and enhance the natural and cultural values on this property. Te Ana is a not for profit organization, with all proceeds from tours being used exclusively for the management of these treasured sites.