Walking through cultural story-telling. Gnarled, battle-scarred, shrouded by alpine mist Tongariro stands as the victor. A sign explained: “Ancient stories of epic conflicts, thunder and lightning relive the time when the Great Mountains fought for the hand of the beautiful Pihanga. A story of love and devotion when the mountains ruled the land. This is the world of Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro. These are the stories of Ngāti Tuwharetoa and, more importantly, these are memories of our mountains, of our Gods, and of our tribal history and identity. They are carried on each mountain breath, every facet of this landscape reflects this epic past, each shadow holds a story, each breeze carries the whispers of yesterday. Tongariro the spring of passion, Tongariro the devoted lover, Tongariro the source of life-giving waters, Tongariro the warrior mountain, Tongariro the soul of Tuwharetoa.
We the Tangata Whenua (people of the land) welcome you to our world. It is a world of reciprocity and respect, of guardianship and devotion, of stunning landscapes and epic stories, of deep reverence and spirituality. May the guardians of our mountains keep you safe, may the memory of this experience Lie warm in your hearts forever.”