Based in the sunny Bay of Plenty Travel Ed partners with small Māori tourism businesses to develop te ao Māori immersive itineraries and programmes. A whānau business, Travel Ed’s philosophy centres on Discovering by Doing | Mā te Mahi, Ka Mārama. Learning is a lifelong process. We never stop learning and learn best in the real world and authentic context. Our programmes and day trips are located
along the beautiful Bay of Plenty coastline. They include community and environmental activities that engage with the local taiao (environment) and tangata whenua (local people), participants gain first-hand experiences from those who live in these communities, no matter what cultural backgrounds you might come from. In the Māori world there are eight pou (pillars) that TravelEd draws from as central guiding principles:
Manaakitanga (care for each other)
Hau Ora (personal wellbeing)
Hinengaro (mental wellbeing)
Tiakitanga (care for the environment)
Rangatiratanga (developing leadership)
Whakawhānaungatanga (working together)
Turangawaewae (our place in the world)
Wairuatanga (spiritual wellbeing)
We at Travel Ed are proud of our culture, and, are excited to contribute to an Aotearoa based on understanding and knowledge. Travel Ed partners with a number of small Māori operators who offer a wide range of hands-on activities based on their own cultural knowledge and strengths e.g. experts in the forests, the rivers and sea heritage. These operators have spent their lives in these environments and are excited to share what they have with you. They believe that we learn best by active and collaborative involvement rather than passive participation. Activities that Travel Ed offers include, but not restricted to:
Coastline day trips, hangi making, kiwi and tuatara experiences, ancestral mountain hikes, waka paddling, waka ama paddling, river riding, paddle boarding, food gathering, traditional fishing, traditional marae stays, group tasks, kapa haka, traditional Māori games, Māori hand weaponry, traditional Māori medicines, conservation and environment projects, predator control (natural). Importantly, all of these activities are designed with fun in mind!! Travel Ed complements these exciting programmes by offering guided day trips where we take you to various coastal Bay of Plenty tourist locations if you prefer to have less challenging experiences. At the end of each programme and day trips participants will have developed new skills, knowledge and understanding, and, an inquisitiveness to whet the appetite for more experiences in future.
