Experience urban and rural Auckland, including its rich Māori tradition. Start your day with a drive from the port through Parnell, one of the oldest and affluent districts of Auckland. See Parnell Village with all its cafés and boutique shops. Continue through Auckland Domain’s manicured lawns, gardens, ponds and past the famous Auckland Museum. Eventually, travel over Grafton Bridge, the gateway to shop-lined Queen Street. Then leave the city via Auckland Harbour Bridge and enter rolling countryside, passing farms, ranches and forests to Te Hana Māori cultural preserve. The Te Hana Community Development Charitable Trust was founded in 2002 by concerned local iwi (tribal members) in response to serious social and economic concerns that were affecting not only the wellbeing of local whanau (families) but also negatively impacting the wellbeing of the wider community. At Te Hana, experience ceremonies, tribal songs, dances, and a meal cooked on hot stones in earth oven with the community. The karanga is a formal part of welcoming a manuhiri (guest) onto a Marae (meeting house), and the haka Powhiri may be performed as part of the karanga process, normally done when visiting tribes or dignitaries visit. As well, the wero challenge is still widely utilized amongst many tribes in New Zealand. At the end of your excursion, enjoy the approximately 1 hour 15 minute drive back to your cruise ship.