During the 1953-4 tour of New Zealand The Queen arrived in Rotorua, a great centre of Maori tradition and culture, where the tribes had assembled in force. The traditional welcome included the haka haka and a poi song, sung by Maori girls. At Arawa Park the royal couple were presented to Maori chiefs and given Maori feather cloaks (kahu kiwi) of brown Kiwi feathers. The kiwi bird holds a special significance for the Maori - it is symbolic of their elder brothers and sisters, representing protective spirits.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have often worn their feather cloaks on subsequent visits to the country, notably for the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1990.