Te Ao Hou Marae sits on Somme Parade in Aramoho, Whanganui, and earns a 4.8 rating from 48 reviewers, who describe a homely, welcoming place with scenery "out of this world" — one regular even trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with updates shared on its Facebook page. A marae is the communal heart of its people, the ground where tangihanga, hui and school noho take place, and where visitors are greeted with pōwhiri, speeches and waiata before sharing kai together. First-timers should expect to take shoes off before entering the wharenui, ask about the local kawa, and offer koha in thanks for the hospitality. Regulars will tell you the true measure of any marae is manaakitanga — the warmth with which strangers are made to feel like whānau. By every account, Te Ao Hou offers exactly that kind of welcome in Aramoho, Whanganui.