QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED
COMMON QUESTIONS
Te Ara ki Hikurangi is the public walking track; however, permission is required from Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou, who oversee Pakihiroa Station at the base of Hikurangi, which provides access to the mountain. Contact them at info@maungahikurangi.com.
We strongly advise opting for a guided experience to gain a comprehensive understanding of the maunga’s history and significance. Note that no information about the carvings or the Maunga is provided at the summit.
No, Pakihiroa Station is an operational farm, so access to the 4-wheel drive track is not permitted without prior authorisation. Maunga Hikurangi Experiences is the sole operator authorised to provide access.
Yes, you are allowed to take photos. Feel free to capture as many images as you like of the carvings, and the guides will be happy to assist you. You may also take photos during your journey up and down the maunga, provided it is safe to do so. However, please refrain from photographing people working on the farm. If you plan to use any imagery for publications or commercial purposes, you must obtain written permission from Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou.
Currently, we have guides who speak both English and Te Reo Māori. If you need a guide fluent in Te Reo Māori, please request this at the time of booking.
As part of the experience, you will be provided with a light snack featuring Ngati Porou produce. After the tour, you can purchase our renowned Ruatoria Pies at the local Hikurangi General Store.
For safety reasons, children under the age of 5 are not permitted on the tours.
Confirmed annual closure dates are:
CLOSED:
Month of October
From 12 PM on December 31st to 12 PM on January 1st for the Ngati Porou Dawn Ceremony Event.
Unfortunately, this tour is not currently accessible for wheelchair users, as the Maunga lacks the necessary facilities.
This tour is dependent predominantly on weather conditions. Before booking this tour please ensure that the weather conditions are suitable for the date you wish to book the tour. Below is a link to a website that offers a 10 day weather forecast for the Ruatoria region. Please use this website to determine the best day to do a tour.
If you are booking long-term, a notification email will be sent to you 10 days before your tour asking that you check the weather forecast to check conditions for your tour. If weather is not suitable consider rescheduling to another date.
Maui is a Māori God, also known as Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga. He performed a number of major feats which you will learn about on the tour.
In 1999, Toihoukura, the arts department of Tairāwhiti Polytechnic, under the guidance of Derek Lardelli, was commissioned by Te Runanga o Ngati Porou to create a series of carvings to be installed on Hikurangi, marking the arrival of the new millennium in 2000. This installation, titled “Maui Whakairo,” features eight carved pou (free-standing sculptures) arranged in a circle around the central piece, Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga.
Maui was chosen as the focal point of this installation due to his significance as a founding ancestor of the Ngati Porou tribe. Each carving in the installation is intricately connected to Maui, his whanau (family), and the stories surrounding him.
While we provide a brief description of each carving below, please note that each one is rich with many elements that cannot be fully detailed here. We invite you to visit and explore these carvings to gain a deeper understanding of their significance.
Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga: The central piece of the collection, Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga represents Maui, a figure destined for greatness, known for his remarkable achievements that transcended the ordinary.
Te Waha-o-Ruaumoko: The gateway to “Te Ana-o-Muriranga-whenua” (the cave of Muriranga-whenua), where the vast knowledge Maui sought to acquire was kept.
Hine-rau-ma-ukuuku: Maui’s wife, or one of his wives. This carving faces outward, contrasting with the other carvings that face inward towards Maui. Hine-rau-ma-ukuuku serves as kaikaranga (the voice of welcome) for all manuhiri (visitors).
Te Kauae-o-Muriranga-whenua: The jawbone of Muriranga-whenua, used by Maui as a hook to catch his treasured fish.
Te Tohu a Maui: Represents “Te Waka-o-Ranginui,” which gathers the tears of Ranginui (rain). Hineruru, also known as “Te Kohanga-manu,” is the kaitiaki (guardian) of “Te Puna-o-Tinirau,” the collection point of these tears.
Te Taurapa-o-Nukutaimemeha: The stern or tail-piece of Maui’s waka, Nukutaimemeha, now petrified in Lake Takawhiti at the summit of Hikurangi. This carving faces west, symbolizing the connection from Hikurangi to Taranaki, and includes “Whakataupotiki,” the guardian figure of Maui.
Irawhaaki: Maui’s father, also referred to as Makeatutara in some stories. His error in performing karakia (ritual prayers) on Maui led to Maui’s mortality and eventual demise at the hands of Hinenui-te-po, the goddess of the spiritual realm.
Te Hiku-o-te-Ika: Represents the barb of the stingray, symbolising the tail-end of the fish (sometimes a stingray). This carving connects to the northern people and features Hinenui-te-po and “Te tatau o te po” (the gateway to the spirit world), accessible through Te Hiku-o-te-Ika at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga). It also includes Te Umukokako, where the spirits of Hikurangi gather.
Te Waka Hoehoe: Also known as Matawaka, this represents all waka and waka traditions of Te Tairāwhiti’s iwi and hapu, including Horouta, Mangarara, Nukutere, Te Ikaroa-a-Rauru, Tauira-mai-tawhiti, Tohora, Tereanini, Takitimu, Tamira, Hotutaihirangi, Tai-o-puapua, Te Rarotuamaheni, raiteuru, and others. Nukutaimemeha is regarded as the principal waka.