What it is
Ohinemutu on the shore of Lake Rotorua is a living village of Ngāti Whakaue and has been inhabited for centuries; steam rises from vents between the houses and along the lake edge. At its centre is Te Papaiouru Marae with the carved meeting house Tamatekapua, named after the captain of the Te Arawa canoe.
Opposite stands St Faith's Anglican Church, built in 1914, whose interior is decorated with Māori carving and tukutuku panels. A window in the chapel shows Christ wearing a Māori cloak, etched so that he appears to walk on the waters of the lake behind. The village is a residential community, and visitors are expected to be respectful on the marae.
Getting there by bus
Routes 1 (Ngongotaha - Rotorua CBD) and 6 (Kawaha Point - Hospital - Rotorua CBD) stop at Rotorua Hospital - North (stop 3193) and Rotorua Hospital - South (stop 3194) on Pukeroa Street, about 280 metres from the village, roughly a four-minute walk downhill.
Route 5 (Western Heights - Selwyn Heights - Rotorua CBD) stops on Tarewa Road (stops 3223 and 3224), about 570 metres away, and the central interchange Rotorua CBD - Arawa Street (stop 3003), about 800 metres away, is a ten-minute walk.
