Pa Harakeke Eco-Cultural Centre

Pa Harakeke Eco-Cultural Centre weaves Maori culture and nature together through the story of harakeke (flax).

“People love the idea of being able to come and see real live culture mixed in with our everyday work of planting trees and working with harakeke,” says Dan Benefield, Manager of Pa Harakeke Eco-Cultural Centre.

Located in the foothills of the majestic Pureora Mountain, amidst beautiful King Country native forest, visitor numbers to Pa Harakeke have been increasing steadily since it opened for business six months ago.

The centre showcases the world of harakeke (flax) and the role it played in the life and traditions of the Maori. Harakeke is unique to New Zealand and is one of our oldest plant species.

Guided tours begin with an ancient karakia, and include a visit to the native nursery where visitors are told about plants and their traditional medicinal use. The interactive display room features clothing, mats and other products made from harakeke. During the demonstration visitors learn how to prepare and weave the harakeke.

“The standout comment is “what a wonderful concept,” comments Dan, who says the majority of visitors are currently Kiwis, followed by North American and British. “What goes on here is authentic, not staged. The stories we tell are those told by the ancestors of this land and people get a real feel for that.”

As well as being a marketing tool, the website features an online shop and an online version of Pa Harakeke’s  CO2 offset programme, where visitors can purchase a native tree that will be planted on site to offset their carbon emissions.

This summer Pa Harakeke will also introduce guided tours of the Pureora Forest Park and Maraeroa Forests, where visitors will learn about the flora and fauna and hear the historic stories of this beautiful and relatively unexplored part of New Zealand.