There’s a proverb in Maori I learned at a young age: “Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka.” Translation: The kūmara does not speak of his sweetness.
It’s a reminder to practise humility and to be humble in your leadership. Well, today I’m going to speak up on behalf of a quiet “kumara” that deserves recognition. I’ve found something so sweet it simply must be shared.
Since beginning our focus on Social Tourism, Darryl and I have come across a few providers that hit full marks in one area or another of our five star criteria (that being 1. social good, 2. economic benefit to local communities, 3. accessibility, 4. relationship building and 5. sustainability). But we haven’t yet discovered a tourist site that is perfect. Today I want to share the closest to perfection that we’ve found so far - The Waitangi Treaty Grounds in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.
It’s a site that brings me enormous pride to share because not only is it an exemplary illustration of Social Tourism in action, it's also what I consider to be the most significant site in my country’s history: the place where Aotearoa New Zealand began. Our visit was made extra special by the fabulous CC, a tour guide at the Grounds who graciously accepted my request for a filmed interview after her tour. You can watch the full video including snippets of her tour and interview here, or read below the abridged version which gives just the BB STARS social tourism review.
Firstly you should know I haven’t received any payment for this review - it’s purely my honest and frank opinion of what I experienced on the day. Spoiler alert - it was fantastic - the Waitangi Treaty Grounds managed to tick almost all the boxes.
CC’s tour shared extensive detail on the history of Aotearoa New Zealand, and explained why the Waitangi Grounds in particular is such a very important place in the country’s history. The Treaty Grounds themselves are extensive, and you will need good walking shoes and a lot of time so that you can enjoy what NZ is most well known for, the nature. Linking the different aspects of the Grounds (the Wharenui, the Treaty House, the Waka, The Museums, the cafe and the shop, is a native forest and lake, plus open grounds with a view across the bay.
As we walked through this tranquil landscape, CC’s tour took us into great detail around the indigenous origin story of Aotearoa, the arrival of whalers, gold seekers and colonists, and the creation of the Treaty of Waitangi. There are a lot of entertaining stories of this period when Aotearoa became a British colony, New Zealand, and CC is a passionate storyteller. She talked about the infamous Kororareka, “hell hole of the pacific”, New Zealand’s first official British resident, Busby and the creation of a flag and the Declaration of Independence. She also explained the differences in translations and conceptual understandings within the Treaty, which quickly led to war.
NB: If you’d like to learn more about the war between Maori and British , you might want to visit the nearby site of Ruapekapeka, the location of the final battle, so check out our social tourism review of that unique site.
Social Good
I consider CC’s storytelling as an exemplar of the first point on our Social Good star, which reflects how well a site builds positive bonds and increased understanding of local communities. You can see how passionate CC is in telling the stories of our past while making connections with others. She is very clear about what new understandings she hopes people leave her tour with. It is important to her that every visitor finds a personal connection to the Grounds, and comes to understand and appreciate the challenges of the Treaty that have influenced New Zealand culture today.
The second point on the Social Good star asks how were connections between locals and travellers made? Again, CC showed well deserved pride in this aspect of her work as it is something that is very important to her personally. The third and fourth points on this star refer to support for underrepresented groups, and telling a lesser known story. CC achieved this by weaving te reo Maori throughout her tour helping to normalise it in daily speech. She even attempts to spread this unique language throughout the globe by teaching us how to pronounce the name of the famous waka (canoe): Ngatokimatawhaorua
Although I started with the word “exemplary” unfortunately I can't actually give the last point on the social good star because as far as I am aware there are no volunteer opportunities at Waitangi suitable for travellers. CC if you are reading this, please leave a comment and correct me if I am wrong so I can update this to a full star.
Treasury
The next BB Star represents the economic benefits the site brings to its local community. I asked CC to explain who funds these grounds, and where does the profit go? She explained that 100% of the admission fees go into maintaining the site.
The land of the Waitangi Grounds were gifted to the people of New Zealand and the site is managed by a Board of Trustees. CC acknowledged that while the Grounds have received some government funding when needed, it is not enough to ensure maintenance is kept to the highest standard. She showed me areas of the Treaty House, for example, that were in disrepair. I have to agree, this site is arguably the most important in our natural history, so as a kiwi tax payer, I personally don’t mind doing my bit to ensure it is preserved.
We reserve a couple of points on our Treasury star for looking at how tourism providers support the local employment, including workers rights and opportunities for locals to develop their careers. I asked CC about her work at the Grounds and what it means for her. She described the feeling from her colleagues and employers as true “Manaakitanga” (meaning showing kindness, respect, and support) and told me all about how much she has grown and developed during her time working with them. She talked with such genuine gratitude that I was happy to award a full star for economic impact.
Accessibility
Our next BB star is about Accessibility, because it's really important to us that no one is excluded from an opportunity, or feels less valued, simply for being who they are. CC obviously agrees, and she is dedicated to making sure her tours are accessible to everyone. She takes care to get to know visitors and adapts to fit them individually. She explained how she adapts her walks to suit the physical needs of her visitors. She uses ‘tourmates’ to ensure those with hearing difficulties get full access to the tour, and to support those with visual impairments, she guides their hands over the exhibits so they can feel the carvings as she explains them.
I really applaud CC’s adaptations, it's the first example we’ve found so far of someone making sure that sight impairments aren’t restrictions. The next point on our Accessibility star refers to how respect for the LGBTIQ community is shown. The Treaty Ground site has unisex toilets in the cafe, and complies with the country’s anti discrimination laws. Aotearoa New Zealand scores 75/100 on the Equaldex ranking (here is their link for more info).
The menu at the Whare Waka Cafe included menu variance, but I didn’t see a lot of pure vegan options to be honest. There wasn’t any specification around kosher or halal options.
The final point on this star is about the overall social perspective that is presented in terms of recognition of all peoples. CC was candid and open with me about how she feels about presenting Maori perspectives in a tourism setting. It is important to her that, as a country, New Zealand shows respect and ‘awhi’ (care) for the Maori culture, ensuring that it is more than just a tourist attraction or a plastic tiki keychain - it is the core beauty of our country that is treasured and nurtured.
Relationships
CC’s whole approach to her work at the Waitangi Grounds makes me want to award all the points on our relationship star immediately. Her tour was incredibly enjoyable and provided all the information I could have hoped for. While entry to the Grounds is more expensive than most tourist sites in the area, it includes a tour and cultural experience plus access to all the site’s museums and historical buildings. So I am happy to call it value for money. CC delivered such high quality service, more than I expected, mainly because of her dedication to ensuring she tells the stories of our past in a way that connects with everyone she meets. She takes her guests to heart, and relationships are her specialty.
Sustainability
Our final star is a big one, Sustainability, and again I have to say I found some exemplary practices here at the Waitangi Grounds. Staff at the Grounds work hard to continually reduce their landfill waste. They have their own recycling stations onsite and visitors can help by using the bin systems throughout the grounds that are designed to reduce landfill. All of the suppliers that work with the Grounds are asked to reduce their packaging and eliminate the plastic wrapping completely, to ensure that they are only using packaging that can be reused or recycled.
They also have compost bins to produce their own compost for the gardens from uncooked scraps from the Café, grass clippings etc. In a cycle of sustainability, the Head Gardener plants vegetables and herbs that are used by the Café and Events caterers.
The Waitangi National Trust keeps a close eye on its carbon footprint. They have 503 hectares of land, giving a high annual carbon sequestration rate that is used to offset their annual emissions. The most recent carbon assessment for Waitangi was completed in 2021, and their net carbon footprint was 3,193tCO2e. Where possible they employ staff who live locally to help further reduce the carbon emissions of travelling to work daily.
On their biggest event of the year, Waitangi Day, they run a zero waste programme. This event sees up to 60,000 participants in one day and so far they are able to convert 90% of waste from landfill to recycling. Their goal is to reach 100% conversion in the next five years.
Finally, in their most recent build the Grounds installed solar panels on the museum, and are currently scoping out the possibility of a solar farm to support the Estate. So as far as sustainability is concerned, we think they set an excellent example for tourism providers.
Final BB STARS:
Overall, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds provide a fabulous experience for everyone who visits them. I can’t speak highly enough of CC and her colleagues that have made this vital piece of my country's history come alive in a way that will engage and enrich everyone. I hope you get a chance to visit, and take a tour for yourself. In the video, I really have only given you a tiny portion of CC’s tour - I thoroughly recommend checking out her full tour, her passion and detail is truly inspiring.
When you do, say Kia Ora from me!
And if you’re interested in more Social Tourism opportunities in New Zealand, check out our other videos - don't forget to subscribe and hit the notifications bell. We post a new Social Tourism review every Sunday.
Next we are off to the United Kingdom, looking for Social Tourism opportunities in Darryl’s homeland. I hope you’ll join us there, til then, Happy travels everyone!
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