Walk of ages
In New Zealand, Marsha Lederman hikes to the summit of a 6,000-year-old volcano where ‘the hand of a god punches out of the sea’
When NBA giant Steven Adams returned home to New Zealand this summer/winter (depending on your hemisphere) with an Oklahoma City Thunder contingent, he made a fast break for a volcano. Rangitoto Island is a magnificent volcanic landmark in the Hauraki Gulf just off Auckland’s east coast. It offers gentle(ish) hikes, lava caves and stunning views that reach to the Tasman Sea on Auckland’s other side. But Adams’s visit was no run-of-the-mill sightseeing jaunt; this tour was a meaningful experience steeped in Maori traditions.
A few days later, I followed in Adams’s (humungous) footsteps – minus the media attention and the NBA entourage. I was fortunate enough to score the same guide.
Te Haerenga – journey through sacred islands – is a Maori-owned and operated eco-tourism initiative. The organization officially launched its indigenous tours of Rangitoto and Motutapu islands nearly a year ago.
This is not just the standard breathtaking hike (or, as they say in New Zealand, “tramp”) to the summit with its almost unreasonably spectacular selfie opportunities – but an authentic, story-rich and environmentally sensitive experience led by indigenous guides who tailor the discussion based on visitors’ questions and interests. Anyone opting for a full-day outing also gets a tramp over on neighbouring Motutapu and an opportunity to gather their own afternoon meal.
Some 170,000 people visited Rangitoto (“bloody sky”) last year, but most of the island’s unguided visitors are “completely oblivious to this cultural layer” says James Brown, chairman of the Ngai Tai Ki Tamaki Tribal Trust – and my encyclopedic poet of a guide. He is accomplished and ambitious, developing economic opportunities for his iwi (tribe) and the Maori beyond – and committed to justice for indigenous people everywhere; work that has led to connections with First Nations in Canada.
The tours are part of a Ngai Tai economic and social strategy to move into the hospitality space. Brown is excited about adding elements: electric bikes, vehicles, horses (on Motutapu), glamping (there is already a campsite in operation). “The tours are a catalyst,” he tells me. “The walk is the first step.”
The day begins with a 30-minute ferry ride to Rangitoto, during which Brown (or one of the guides he has hired – there are employment benefits to this initiative as well) offers a Maori primer on the island.
He tells me about Peretu, a spiritual ancestor he describes as Rangitoto’s first occupant. He explains the recent and ongoing treaty settlement activity with the Crown involving land that includes Rangitoto and Motutapu. He also goes into the island’s geological history. The literature generally states that Rangitoto did not emerge from the ocean until a dramatic eruption 600 years ago. But Brown, citing a recent University of Auckland study, tells me the island is in fact closer to 6,000 years old. He is working on getting Rangitoto’s signage changed to reflect that. He would like to see the island renamed for Peretu, but that’s another fight for the future.
When we arrive, we stand at the foot of the wharf, where Brown points out a live vent – if it’s bubbling, “buckle up,” he says – a reminder that the island where we have just landed is a (dormant) volcano. “It’s good; it’s asleep today,” he adds.
He then begins a prayer or karakia to acknowledge the creators, the Maori king, the ancestors – especially Peretu, “our dead, you and me and the world,” he continues. “We ask for their guidance and blessing.”
He chants the Maori blessing while walking slowly across the long wharf, his voice rising as we near the waharoa – the carved gateway that marks the entrance to Rantigoto. There, he stops to give the two poles the hongi, the traditional Maori greeting: getting in close, pressing the nose and forehead to the other person (or in this case, the pole) and mingling breath – the ha.
As we make our way up to the nearly 260-metre summit, paths cut through piles of jagged volcanic rock and lush vegetation. The walk generally takes about 60 to 90 minutes, but we drove partway since we were short on time. There are more than 200 species of native plants – including the honey-providing manuka and what Brown tells me is the world’s largest pohutukawa forest. (The pohutukawa flowers bright red around the holidays and is considered the Kiwi Christmas tree and it has significance for the Maori: As the legend goes, the warrior Tawhaki fell to Earth after seeking help in heaven to avenge his father’s death. The crimson blossoms represent his blood.)
Hikes are accompanied by the singsong delights of glorious birds. “Sounds like a mobile phone,” Brown jokes after one of the melodic calls.
We pause at the crater, which Brown compares to Peretu’s hand; it is said that from Auckland the volcano resembles his three knuckles. “Peretu’s fist punches out of the sea,” he says, demonstrating with his own tattooed arms.
The summit offers dramatic views of Auckland and beyond. The next-door landscape of Motutapu is starkly different, with its green patches of sheep-manicured farmland.
Brown is full of stories – about ancient and modern history, the Maori and New Zealand, his own life and iwi, even the tours themselves. He tells me about a couple who, six years earlier, got engaged across the water and took a photo of themselves with Rangitoto in the background – but had never been to the island itself. When they did finally visit and reached the summit, the woman produced that engagement photo and delivered some news to her husband: She was pregnant. Their Te Haerenga guide snapped a new picture.
After the descent, there’s a simple lunch by the beach. If you opt for the full day tour, you will explore Motutapu (a narrow bridge connects the islands) – which offers scenic hikes, sandy coves and rich history ranging from archeological sites to Second World War gun emplacements. Afterward, you harvest your own afternoon meal – lettuce, watercress, shellfish.
The key to the experience is the dialogue – sparked as much by the tourist as the tour guide. I express interest in parallels between indigenous relations in New Zealand and Canada. In New Zealand, the culture and language feel so very present – you see Maori on signs and buildings, people seem to know at least a few basic phrases, Maori greetings open public events. We discuss the fraught histories in both countries.
Brown says he’s been hearing good things about First Nations relations under Canada’s new Prime Minister; I talk about residential schools and the Truth and Reconciliation process.
“My hope on our departure is that you have an increased confidence around not just Maori as a people but New Zealand as a country, and also from what you’ve shared and exchanged with me today, [I’m excited for] our First Nations brothers and our Canadian families as they unravel their future together,” Brown tells me on the ferry back to Auckland.
He also instructs that we are not to say good-bye to one another, but ma te wa – bye for now.
“We never say good-bye in our tribe. Good-bye means I’ll never see you again,” he explains.
He says he has enjoyed the cultural exchange and personal connection. “We’ve touched noses, eh? We’ve shared the ha. We’re family now.”
Half-day guided walks are $150; full-day walks $200 ($100 for children for both). For details, visit tehaerenga.nz.
The writer paid a discounted rate for her tour. Te Haerenga did not review or approve the story.