Sacred Te Aroha maunga

From almost everywhere on the Hauraki Rail Trail Great Ride you can see the Te Aroha maunga (Mt Te Aroha). Standing at 952m tall, Mt Te Aroha is the highest point on the Kaimai-Mamaku Range.  

The Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park stretches for 70km from the Karangahake Gorge near Waihi to the Mamaku Plateau near Rotorua. It forms a natural barrier between the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.

Te Aroha maunga is sacred to not only the people of Ngãti Tumutumu but many surrounding iwi as well. The maunga and ngahere (forest) is an important part of the community as a whole.  

Kaitiakitanga is a term used for the concept of guardianship, for the sky, the sea, and the land. A kaitiaki is a guardian, and the process and practices of protecting and looking after the environment are referred to as kaitiakitanga.

The lasting impacts of mining and global warming are not lost on the people of Ngãti Tumutumu.  

They are creating something sustainable for all future generations through conservation efforts based around removing pest plants from the western side of Mt Te Aroha and the ongoing management and maintenance of these.  

 Tumutumu’s long-term goal is to restore the ngahere to what it previously was, with a flourishing native plant and bird life.

This conservation project on the western face includes the walking tracks south towards Wairongomai Valley and across the summit.

Today, the Ngãti Tumutumu Trust has its offices at the Te Aroha Railway Station, and the trail passes through land owned by Tumutumu at this site.

* Find out more about the Hauraki Rail Trail Great Ride or check out all 23 of our Great Rides.