MĀORI TOURS KAIKŌURA
About Us
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
At Māori Tours Kaikōura, no two journeys are ever the same. Every experience we create is a one‑off — thoughtfully designed around the people we are hosting, the time available, and the way you wish to connect with this place.
Our guides are tangata whenua with deep ancestral ties to Kaikōura. They carry generations of knowledge, lived experience, and stories that are not scripted or staged, but shared with care, integrity, and respect. Through them, the land, sea, and sky become storytellers — revealing the whakapapa, history, and tikanga of this rohe in ways that are intimate and meaningful.
History of Māori Tours Kaikōura
Māori Tours Kaikōura was founded by Maurice and Heather Manawatu in November 2001 and began operating in January 2002. At the time, both were working for Whale Watch Kaikōura - Maurice as Assistant Sea Operations Manager and skipper, and Heather as Reservations and Sales Manager.
The idea for a land-based cultural tour came to them while on holiday in Abel Tasman National Park. On returning home, they met with whānau (family) and local kaumātua (elders) who supported the vision. With full endorsement from the local rūnanga, Māori Tours Kaikōura was born.
Over 17 years, Maurice and Heather built an award-winning, globally recognised experience that shared the rich cultural heritage of Kaikōura and the 800-year history of local Māori.
Daily operations paused in 2019, but the business lives on. Māori Tours is now proudly led by Rawiri Manawatu, the son of Maurice’s first cousin. Rawiri’s daughter is also part of the team, helping carry the business forward for future generations.
Our Guides
At Māori Tours Kaikōura, we are privileged to offer a select group of guides able to make your experience completely individual and unforgettable.
Each is a rangatira (tribal leader) of the Ngāti Kurī hapū (subtribe) and deeply knowledgeable about our history, culture, lands and seas.
Rawiri Manawatu
Kaihora Kōrero / Tour Guide
Rawiri Manawatu has strong ancestral and personal connections to Kaikōura, with a deep understanding of how the land, ocean, and people are interconnected. He has a calm authority and clarity, shaped by generations of lived relationship with this coastline.
As a guide, Rawiri brings a thoughtful and grounded approach, and cares deeply about connecting people to the place we call home.
Rocky Roberts
Kaihora Kōrero / Tour Guide
Rocky Roberts (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Hinematua) is a gifted storyteller with deep knowledge of whakapapa and tribal history. He has a natural ability to bring pūrākau to life in ways that are engaging, accessible, and grounded in tikanga. With strong connections to Kaikōura, Rocky shares stories of place with warmth, clarity, and respect, offering guests meaningful insight into the people and histories of the rohe.
Maurice Manawatu
Kaihora Kōrero / Tour Guide
Along with his wife Heather, Maurice was the founder and original tour guide for Māori Tours (see above). Maurice is a renowned cultural expert for Ngāi Tahu whakapapa (genealogy), history and stories. The depth of his knowledge is unsurpassed among living Ngāti Kurī.
Maurice has a quick sense of humour and is generous with his cultural insight - and may even get out the guitar when the time is right...
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