Maori Arts Gallery — Attraction in North Island

Situated in a high footfall location on Waterfront Walkway (Wellington) this lovely little Māori owned store could easily take advantage of visitors - but they do quite the opposite. The two members of staff I met when I went in to buy a Māori fish hook (Matau) pendant were incredibly helpful and informative. The range of sizes, colours and prices meant I could find exactly what I wanted. I actually ended up also buying a matching Manaia pendant because I couldn’t make up my mind which I preferred. I was so impressed with the experience (and my two purchases) that I returned the next day to buy two more Matau pendants for my son and son-in-law. Whilst there selecting them, I noticed that some of the display pendants had thicker cord than what I’d been given, so I asked if it were possible to swap out all four of mine . . . no problem; the two ladies (different from the previous day) did so quickly and efficiently. Between my purchases I had also visited the store in Te Papa (the ‘Museum of New Zealand’) - whilst their Māori pendants were just as beautiful, they had a very limited choice and every pendant I liked was considerably...

I went into this shop with my husband and was looking to spend alot of money on gifts for my Whanau in Australia. My husband has a heart condition and it was a cooler morning than expected so he was sniffing and sweating more than usual. Your shop assistant chose to call him out in front of other customers and make us both feel embarrassed. Her “ I don’t want to shame you or call you out.” comment In front of other customers ( all who were white or foreign I might add) made the situation worse. Your assistant made us feel small and insignificant and had I not been trying to make this trip with my husband memorable I would have ripped her apart with some scathing comments she would never forget! Hence in my disbelief we promptly left before I could! Just because some us maori are not flashy and or dressed to the nines means that we are poor, dirty or less than anyone else. I would never shop there or suggest to other whanau to either as clearly we are not the market this shop is catered to. So...

This tiny little shop truly packs a punch! Don’t be fooled by its size—it's incredibly well-organized and filled with beautiful treasures crafted right here in Aotearoa. I especially appreciate that everything is locally made, including their pounamu (jade). It was also wonderful to be welcomed in te reo Māori; language is such a powerful way to keep culture and tradition alive.

We bought a few taonga from this shop, including a piece of pounamu that I will treasure always. The craftsmanship of the carvings is absolutely beautiful—both traditional and contemporary designs are represented with such skill. As many others have mentioned, the prices are also very reasonable.

I feel confident purchasing from this little gem, knowing that everything is authentic and made by talented NZ artisans. Thank you, Māori Arts, for sharing your beautiful culture with new visitors like myself. And the location of the shop is...