Rongomaraeroa is Te Papa’s marae, or communal meeting place. Rongomaraeroa is named after a place in the heavens where the Māori gods are said to meet in peace to settle issues.

The marae is like a korowai, or cloak, that protects. It’s a safe place to raise issues of national importance.

Rongomaraeroa embodies Aotearoa New Zealand’s bicultural identity. It’s a place for welcomes, ceremonies, and performances. Most marae are tribally or community based, but this unique marae is for all New Zealanders.

Explore the marae

Start by touching the iho, or centring stone. It is made of precious pounamu, or greenstone. This iho protects the values of marae ceremonies.

Look down – the floor symbolises Papatūānuku, the earth mother. Now look up – the blue stained-glass door represents Ranginui, the sky father.

The marae ātea, or courtyard, extends outside – take in the panoramic view.

Te Hono ki Hawaiki meeting house

The modern wharenui, or meeting house, is called Te Hono ki Hawaiki. Its name means ‘the connection to the ancestral homeland’.

The ancestors of Aotearoa’s tribes are here in its contemporary carvings – along with others who have arrived over the last 200 years.