A soulful destination
Mt Hikurangi is one of those bucket list places for New Zealanders. Nga¯ ti Porou’s sacred maunga is recognised as the first place in the world to see the sun and, for many visitors, it’s a pilgrimage of great significance.
The East Coast icon also takes quite an effort to get to. The nearest town is Ruato¯ ria, which is a three-hour drive from O¯ po¯ tiki, and two hours from Gisborne. From the O¯ po¯ tiki end, coastal State Highway 35 is narrow, windy, hilly, and totally spectacular, with eye-grabbing views. But the road demands eyes firmly ahead.
From Ruato¯ ria, I gaze towards the maunga, but there are a few of them, and I’m not exactly sure which one is Hikurangi, until my host at the Enz of the Earth Lodge guides my eye to the distance and I find my target.
Next morning, I meet Nga¯ ti Porou guides Monty Manuel and kauma¯ tua Rangitahi Nga¯ rimu, who explain that in 1991, half of Mt Hikurangi and all of the Pakihiroa sheep station beneath it were returned to Nga¯ ti Porou as part of their settlement with the Crown.
Twenty years later, the rest of the maunga was also returned to Nga¯ ti Porou hands.
The iwi established Nga¯ ti Porou Tourism and it’s the only commercial operator allowed to lead guided tours on the maunga. What you get are authentic stories from the people with the closest connection to this spiritual place.
But Mt Hikurangi is open to all and many walkers and trampers follow the well maintained track from the car park to the summit. It’s a five or six-hour walk to the peak.
I am headed for the plateau, below the peak. At Pakihiroa Farm, we climb into a Can-Am, a small Canadian/American cross between a jeep and a buggy with big fat wheels that glide over the rocky, bumpy path ahead.
Along the way I hear tribal stories of crossed lovers and warfare that would rival any episode of Game of Thrones.
We arrive as the mist rolls in to cloak the nine carved pou arranged on the points of a compass. The central figure represents Ma¯ ui-Tikitikia-Taranga, the demi-god of many incredible feats, which include slowing down the sun and fishing up the North Island. At 1.752 metres tall, Mt Hikurangi is said to be the first part of Aotearoa that emerged from the sea.
Nga¯ ti Porou says it is also the first place its souls travel to after death, before they journey to the jumping off tree at Te Rerenga-wairua (Cape Reinga). Little wonder the mist came calling.
Nga¯ ti Porou regards Ma¯ ui as its founding ancestor and the remaining eight pou represent his wha¯ nau. The carvings reveal a rich tapestry of history, woven together by my guides’ ko¯ rero.
Led by master carver Sir Derek Lardelli, the nine pou were created for the millennium celebrations. We enter through two carved doublehulled waka, which reference two of the migratory waka significant to the East Coast: Paikea, the ancestor who went to Hollywood via our film Whale Rider, and the celestial body, Matariki.
Other pou depict Ma¯ ui’s wives, his mentor and his father. His mother takes a special place, hidden until a guide reveals her whereabouts. The pou also capture and connect the essence of all iwi throughout Aotearoa.
It is possible to simply stand and drink in the splendour of your surroundings, the rugged isolation, the sacred nature of the whenua, or take a deep dive into the stories etched into wood, shared by the guides.
On the maunga, there is no wrong or right way. It is simply a place to be.
A 50-minute drive from central Auckland is Woodhill Forest where tracks criss-cross the landscape. There are 50 mountain bike trails and 150km of tracks, making this one of Auckland’s most popular riding venues, suitable for all ages and skill levels. If you don’t have a bike, there’s a hire facility, as well as a shop and a cafe.