Tongariro National Park – the hot heart of New Zealand
For Megan, Heidi, Helen, Paul, John and Jimmy
Ka u ki matanuku,
ka u ki Matarangi;
Ka u ki tenei whenua,
hei whenua
Mau e kai te manawa
o tauhou!
“I land where unknown earth lies beneath my feet;
I land where a new sky stretches above me;
I land in this country, a place for me to dwell;
O spirit of the earth, the stranger humbly offers his heart as nourishment for you!”
Ruapehu and Tongariro – these two majestic volcanic massifs stand together in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island in Tongariro National Park. Forged long ago by the earth’s glowing heat, their towering peaks are crowned with snow and eternal ice. Born of fire, shaped by the struggle of the elements in an eternal cycle of becoming and passing away, the untamed and often violent forces of Mother Earth are manifested in stone with dramatic aesthetic. Yet nothing is permanent; the only constant is dynamic change. The observer looks deep into the hot heart of the earth and palpably experiences the apocalyptic energy and the spirit of this landscape of contrasts.
Towering volcanic cones, smoking craters, pungent sulphur fumes, ash-grey veils over scree deserts, deep blue lakes surrounded by lush forests, the magnificent play of colours in the minerals, and the frosty southerly wind evoke the diverse moods of a landscape of the soul, finding expression in the vast dimensions of nature. Birth and death, joy and despair, love and hate – the entire spectrum of human emotion belongs to the chequered history of these mountains and Tongariro National Park.
The history of the mountains and Tongariro National Park is also part of the traditions of the Māori of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe, who have lived for nearly a thousand years with awe and respect at the foot of their sacred mountains: Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. The spirit and power of their divine ancestors, the fire mountains, speak through their faces and their culture. Their historically interesting and deeply poetic legends allow a fascinating insight into the history and spiritual world of the people in this environment.
To preserve this heritage together for future generations, a bond between the land, Māori and Pākehā (non-Māori) was established in 1887 through the gift of the sacred mountain peaks to the New Zealand government. This formed the core of Tongariro National Park, the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. This far-sighted step was formally honoured a few years ago with its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site, both as a monument of cultural and historical significance and as a unique natural beauty. Today, it is the task of the Department of Conservation to find the balance between the use and preservation of natural cycles and to prevent further human interference.
Tongariro National Park is open to people from all over the world. The fascination of volcanic activity and the diversity of vegetation zones, from grassland to alpine glaciers, are as much a draw as the numerous ways to experience the environment: hiking and climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, fishing and hunting… Our freedom in the park requires respect and a great sense of responsibility towards the environment, Māori tradition and our fellow human beings. It is up to us to act in the spirit and tradition of those words chosen by Ngātoro-i-rangi, an ancestor of the Tūwharetoa, upon the arrival of the Māori in New Zealand: “I land where unknown earth lies beneath my feet; I land where a new sky stretches above me; I land in this country, a place for me to dwell; O spirit of the earth! The stranger humbly offers his heart as nourishment for you!”
Whakangarongaro te tangata toitu te whenua
“People pass away, but the land remains”
The hot heart of New Zealand – more about Tongariro National Park:
Chapter 1: Sunrise on the summit of Ngauruhoe
Chapter 2: Māori and their myths
Chapter 3: Spectacular Tongariro: the Crossing and the Northern Circuit
Chapter 4: Oturere and Waihohonu – desolation and abundance of life
Chapter 5: Ruapehu – the sleeping giant or the wolf in sheep’s clothing
Images in the gallery
Last Comments