Journey to the Māori Rock Carvings in comfort and style with a stunning tour of Taupo’s bays. This tour features live commentary and spectacular viewing platforms onboard a spacious boat.  You can enjoy a complimentary homemade muffin and hot drink. And the boats offer comfortable booth seating for all ages, full amenities, and lots of kids’ activities.

The Ngatoroirangi Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings are one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary contemporary art works. Towering 14-metres above Lake Taupo, they are only accessible by water.

In the late 1970s master carver Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell had completed his 10-year training period with Māori elders. He came to his grandmother’s land at Lake Taupō to mark the occasion with a significant carving.  “I saw this huge alcove and it was like a voice called out – I saw an image of a tattooed face and I decided I would sculpt Ngatoroirangi”  Matahi decided to carve a likeness of Ngatoroirangi, a visionary Māori navigator who guided the Tūwharetoa and Te Arawa tribes to the Taupō area over a thousand years ago.

In recognition of the cross-cultural nature of New Zealand, Matahi carved two smaller figures of Celtic design, which depict the south wind and Ngatoroirangi stopping the south wind from freezing him.  The main carving is over 10 metres high and took four summers to complete. The artwork is Matahi’s gift to Taupō.