The centrepiece of this recently opened Ngāti Awa marae isn't new: Mataatua Wharenui (The House That Came Home) is a fantastically carved 1875 meeting house. In 1879 it was dismantled and shipped to Sydney, before spending 71 years in the Otago Museum from 1925. It was returned to the Ngāti Awa in 1996. You can check out Mataatua Wharenui from the outside for free (behave respectfully), or book an excellent cultural tour.
