The hongi is a traditional Maori greeting and in this video, John, an elder I met in the Bay of Islands, explains what the meaning of the forehead to forehead/nose to nose hongi actually means…
And if you want to see more of New Zealand’s Maori culture in action, watch the invincible All Blacks rugby team’s kapa o pango haka translated, click here >>> and for the famous ka mate haka which is not only done at rugby games but to honour important people, click here >>>
Hi, I'm Megan Singleton and I'm the word slinger of this travel blog as well as on radio in NZ every Sunday. Former Travel Editor at Yahoo NZ and current freelance writer for a few newspapers and mags from time to time, I set off on this travel writing journey 20 years ago and I've pretty much always got a suitcase half packed (or half un-packed!) I'd love you to join me on Facebook or Twitter and sign up for my newsletters if you want loads of travel tips, advice and deals!