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Rongoā rākau – an introduction to Māori herbal medicine

From $72.00 per adult | Up to 6 guests

Join one of our knowledgeable and engaging local rongoā practitioners on a gentle walk in the ngahere. Complimentary Sanctuary Explorer Day Pass included.

Join one of our knowledgeable and engaging local rongoā practitioners on a gentle walk in the ngahere. Explore the forest together and identify plants and trees used in traditional Māori healing and wellbeing, learning about the properties of local plants. They will introduce you to the tikanga associated with harvesting, preparing and using plants for rongoā from their own experiences. These tours are generally with small groups and offer the opportunity to ask questions. Rongoā rakau is about an intimate relationship with nature – what better place to explore this than Sanctuary Mountain Maungatuatari?

More about your guides

Ringi Morgan-Fifield

Ringi remembers her mother using rongoā Māori, especially kumarahōu for chest complaints, runa/dock leaf for cuts, blue gum for inhalation during head colds and fresh branches used as a fly deterrent, koromiko for diarrhoea or constipation, mānuka for blocked nose, head colds, and chest complaints.

As an enrolled Nurse her career has covered hospital care and community service from Waikato to Tokoroa to Napier. Ringi has also spent the last 20 years with Te Kohanga Reo where mokopuna health and wellbeing is of the utmost importance.

Since moving back to Waikato and setting up a home at Pōhara marae she has thoroughly enjoyed getting back to nature, learning about rongoā Māori and achieving a diploma through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Ringi has volunteered at Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain, weeding gardens and sharing knowledge about the trees and plants with the guiding team.

Jamie Hiriaki

Jamie's knowledge is underpinned by her upbringing (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Hikairo), where from childhood, her grandmother, nana and great-aunts would use rongoā for healing.

After becoming a mother and being influenced by her work in a kindergarten that followed a Rudolf Steiner holistic approach to education and living, her passion for rongoā was reignited. Completing formal studies, Jamie has achieved the Appreciation for Rongoā Māori course and a Diploma of Rongoā Māori through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Jamie has also trained in Romiromi, a holistic form of spiritual bodywork. As an avid learner, she is currently studying with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, in a Kai Oranga course that teaches Food Sovereignty and Hua Parakore (Māori Organics).

Ringi Morgan-Fifield
Jamie Hiriaki

Please check in at least 10 minutes prior to your tour at Manu Tīoriori visitor centre.

Here you will pick up your Sanctuary Explorer Pass and visitor guide map and receive instructions as to where to meet your guide.

This is a 75 - 80 minute guided tour into Te Tūī ā Taane southern enclosure.

This tour includes a complimentary Sanctuary Explorer Pass, for use during daylight hours on the day of its issue.

Standard booking terms and conditions apply.

Your guided tour comes with a free Sanctuary Explorer Day Pass - perfect for extending your adventure. After the tour, explore at your own pace and soak up the beauty and wairua (spirit) of the sanctuary.

  • 75-80 minutes (approx.)

  • Complimentary Sanctuary Explorer Day Pass included

Thank you! Every booking supports our vital conservation work, helping protect rare and endangered species on the maunga.

What our visitors say

We were a group of 8, Sue was our guide. Would so recommend having Sue to guide. We would not have noticed or learnt anything by ourselves, noticed birds and plants with understanding the importance of sanctuary. Will be bringing the grandies next.

Helen Bingham

1 / 10

The team are still absolutely buzzing about their time at Maungatautari! We all learnt SO much — about Rongoa, about the forest and how different plants can heal our ailments — but also how the forest as a whole can heal our inner-selves too. Everybody took something of great value...

Huka Honey Hive, Taupo

2 / 10

I wanted to email you and tell you how literally amazing our day was and that we were absolutely blown away by the whole experience. You and your team are fantastic. All of the parents who attended raved about the whole day.

Ohaupo School

3 / 10

A truly spectacular day for me thank you, and trust me I've done some really cool things before but this was right up there. The passion, the pride, the service beyond self and the truly intergenerational and transformational work you and the team have done and are doing is inspirational...

Simon

4 / 10

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Because one THANK YOU is not enough! We felt very honoured and privileged to witness the health check and transfer process of two kiwi yesterday. To be so close to our iconic bird was very surreal for many of our team. Many photos were taken and I'm sure...

Nicola Greenwell

5 / 10

I'm honestly still smiling after my afternoon on the maunga yesterday, so I had to write and thank you SO MUCH. The team is doing extraordinary work with the whole sanctuary, and to see the kiwi team, volunteers, dogs, it was absolutely amazing. It was very moving to see the kiwi close up....

Katy Scoullar

6 / 10

I've hiked many, many forests around New Zealand, but this one hits differently. You just know you're in as native of an NZ forest as it can get, thanks to the predator-proof fence that takes a lot of work and money to maintain. The forest is alive with the beautiful songs of many...

Meggie Tran

7 / 10

A beautiful and peaceful place.

Tony Nicholls

8 / 10

My wife and I live in Miami and visited Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari during a trip to New Zealand a month ago. Our guide was Jenny. We were very impressed with her sincerity as well as your organization and the success of your work.

Anonymous, Miami, USA

9 / 10

If you want to see New Zealand's nocturnal animals, go here. Of course, there are day tours as well as night tours. I went on a night tour and it was great. I was happy to see glow worms, go up to the observatory, and see many stars in the night sky! This is not a zoo, but a conservation...

HyoJin Yang (YY)

10 / 10

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