HAKA NEW YEAR! i-to-i Launches Maori Culture Course For 2007

For immediate release: 14 December 2006
Sarah Horner > T +44 (0) 113 205 4628 > E sarah.horner@i-to-i.com
Jo Little > T +44 (0) 113 205 4569 > E jo.little@i-to-i.com

i-to-i, the leading meaningful travel provider is offering travellers a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to the very heart of the fascinating ways of the Maori as part of its first wave of brand new experiences in New Zealand.

The i-to-i Maori Culture Course promises to be a truly unique trip combining cultural learning with worthwhile conservation work in the region. Budding tribesmen will travel to Aotearoa ‘the land of the long white cloud’ and get straight to the core of the Maori way of life. They will explore the mysticism of this ancient civilisation, learning the Maori war challenge and discovering exactly what the world renowned Haka means to these indigenous people.

This course is packed full of new experiences, including lessons in jewellery making, flax weaving, Maori history and the Maori language. Getting to the very heart of the community, participants will also take a trip on Waka canoes, visit Somes Island and even help prepare the ‘hangi’ (the Maori method of cooking) for the evening meal.

Following on from the course, travellers will move on to a choice of several conservation projects giving them the opportunity to put something back into this rewarding environment. Based just outside of Wellington they will have the perfect opportunity to explore this stunning part of the world in between their busy programme.

Matt Guiver, i-to-i product development manager comments “Tourism in New Zealand has gone through the roof over the last couple of years making it now one of the must see destinations. We’re really excited about our new projects here, particularly this fantastic course. It really is a rare opportunity and will certainly send people home with some great travellers’ tales.”

The project starts in January 2007. Individuals can spend between four and twelve weeks on the project with prices starting from £ 1195 for four weeks.*

Ends

*Flights not included.

For further press information or photography, please contact Sarah Horner on 0113 205 4628/sarah.horner@i-to-i.com or Jo Little on 0113 205 4569/jo.little@i-to-i.com

EDITOR’S NOTES
1. i-to-i is a volunteer travel and TEFL training organisation based in Leeds, UK; Denver, USA; Melbourne, Australia and Co. Waterford, Ireland. Each year it sends around 5,000 volunteers to work on 500 projects in 28 countries worldwide and trains a further 15,000 people to teach English as a foreign language.

2. i-to-i is a founding member of the Year Out Group, associate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ‘Know Before You Go’ Campaign, member of the Federation of International Youth Travel Organisations and has training accreditation from the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council.