Maungakiekie

PĀ

Maungakiekie is the most extensively developed Māori pā (village settlement) in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland and one of the largest pre-European archaeological site complexes in New Zealand. It is also one of the largest pre-iron-age forts in the world.

At the height of its occupation it was home to thousands of people. Its four tihi (summits) were all heavily defended by ditches and wooden palisades. On its peak was the ‘tihi’, the most sacred and heavily defended part of the complex and the flanks were extensive (terraces) for whare moe (sleeping houses), rua (roofed storage pits) for seasonal storage of kūmara and other crops, tāpapa (garden mounds) and hāngī (earth oven) pits. 

The terraces and pits exist today as the last remaining remnants of this historic monumental fortress. These important archaeological features are highly sensitive to erosion and visitors must not walk on or through them.

Maungakiekie means “the hill of the kiekie vine”, which once grew abundantly on this Maunga.

GEOLOGY

Maungakiekie is one of the oldest volcanos in the Auckland volcanic field and the second-largest with 20 square kilometers of lava flow fields surrounding a large, complex scoria cone.

The age of the Maunga is not precisely known but it is older than 28,500 years old, as it is blanketed with up to 3 metres of ash blown over from Te Tātua a Riukiuta / Big King, 2 kilometers away. This cap of orange-brown bedded ash can be seen in the old quarry on the southern slope of Maungakiekie.

The tihi (summit) of the Maunga stands at 184 meters above sea level and is made of scoria that fountained explosively out of the adjacent crater. Two craters in the southwest and southeast of the Maunga are horseshoe shaped, having been breached by lava flows that carried away the scoria ramparts on their downhill sides.

Lava bursting through the northern lower flanks of the main peak resulted in lava flows that spread broadly out and completely surrounded the volcano. To the north the flows may have reached Khyber Pass Rd in Newmarket.

TIHI TREES

Maungakiekie has a history of notable trees on its tihi (summit). One historic name for the tihi is Te Tōtara I Ahua after the sacred lone tōtara that grew there until it was felled by Pakeha vandals in 1852. The name One Tree Hill also stems from this lone tōtara tree.

In the 1860s John Logan Campbell began tree planting, including a grove of several Monterey Pine trees on the tihi. The grove eventually became a single Monterey Pine which most people in recent times associate as the one tree of One Tree Hill. The pine was first vandalised in 1994 and then again 1999. The tree was completely removed in 2000 as it had become unsafe.

In June 2016, during a dawn planting ceremony attended by hundreds of Aucklanders, the Tūpuna Maunga Authority returned native trees to the tihi, planting a grove of three tōtara and six pohutukawa on the same spot as the previous Monterey Pine tree. The intention is that a single tree will ultimately remain when it is able to survive on its own.

OBELISK

Sir John Logan Campbell died in 1912 and is buried on the tihi of Maungakiekie. The 21-metre obelisk also on the tihi was bequeathed by him as a memorial to the Māori people. It is made of basalt and Coromandel Granite and was finally completed in 1948 and unveiled by the Māori King, Koroki.

VEHICLE-FREE SUMMIT

To recognise the cultural, historic and archaeological significance of the Maunga, the summit road and the tihi (summit) at Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill was permanently closed to private motor vehicles, including motorbikes and scooters, in May 2018.

CORNWALL PARK BOUNDARY

The Maunga of Maungakiekie and western part of the reserve extending to Manukau Road and encompassing the Stardome Observatory and Sorrento function centre is part of the Treaty of Waitangi redress and is managed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.

Abutting the Maunga is Cornwall Park which is managed separately by the Cornwall Park Trust.

PLAYGROUND

The train at the playground is closed temporarily for repair.

UPGRADES ACROSS THE MAUNGA

Olive Grove Road, Haydn Avenue and the Western Crater carpark are undergoing upgrades starting mid-February 2024 and will take approximately 4 – 5 months to complete. Please note, while we don’t anticipate any major delays, work could be delayed due to weather events or supply chain issues. Construction will occur Monday to Friday (and Saturday morning, where required) during work hours to limit disturbance to neighbours.

Olive Grove Upgrade

The Authority in conjunction with Cornwall Park Trust have made the decision to make this closure permanent. The Authority in conjunction with Cornwall Park Trust have made the decision to make this closure permanent. Improvements include retiring the old track and transforming the roadway into the main passage for pedestrians by adding new pavers and seating areas. The worksite will be fenced off; however, we will endeavour to maintain pedestrian access for the duration of the work. Contractors will start on the northern end (closest to Cornwall Park) and move toward the Western Crater carpark.

Haydn Avenue Footpath

A new footpath will be installed at Haydn Avenue to prevent further degradation of the existing track, and to formalise the walking area. Pedestrian access will continue during this upgrade.

Western Crater Carpark

The western carpark upgrade is designed to improve manuhiri (visitor) experience. It will be reconfigured to allow for better bus access to help ease congestion between cars and pedestrians.

Visitor access

Pedestrian access will continue during the works and if appropriate alternative routes will still be available. Public vehicles will use alternative routes.

PARKING

Parking is available at the start of the summit road and parking time limits are enforced to give all visitors equal parking opportunity.

Automatic gate times:

The gate will automatically open at Tūpuna Maunga Authority standard operating hours:

• Summer: 7am-8.30pm
• Winter: 7am-7pm

The gate will automatically open for any cars inside the Maunga and will not require a code when exiting. Gate opening and closing times will be subject to change with events running at the Stardome and Sorrento.

Tihi (summit) Road gate opening times:

• Summer: 7am-8.30pm
• Winter: 7am-7pm

 Times align with daylight savings. 

LOCATION

670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland