The murae are holy Maori gathering places, usually very intricately carved and painted and represents an important ancestor. The apex of the murae usually has a face carved in front, representing the ancestor's head. The arms reach down the sides of the murae, and the heke along the inside of the building represents the ribs. We weren't allowed to go inside any of the murae (I guess you can imagine it's pretty rude to enter the belly of an ancestor without being invited), but we did get to admire many murae from afar.
I wish my camera was still working to show the murae featured in the movie "Whale Rider", but this one is is pretty cool too. 
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