Visit New Zealand

- By Diana Tijoriwalla

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• Indians in NZ
• The Howick Historical Village
• School Levels
• The Treaty of Waitangi.
• Maori Cooking
• Anzac Day 25th April
• Auckland Regional Parks
• Tongariro National Park
• The Buried Village (Rotorua)
• Auckland's Islands
• Paradise Valley Springs (Rotorua)
• MOTAT
• The Polynesian Spa
• Rules for Teachers
• Daffodil Day
• The Waitakere Ranges
• Western Springs Tramway
• Auckland Museum
• New Zealand's Pride
• The Tuatara
• Maungakiekie
• Secondary Schools
• Sir Edmund Hillary
• Halloween
• Auckland Zoo

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Maungakiekie

Maungakiekie(One tree hill) is the most extensively terraced of all Auckland volcanoes. Over 170 of these terraces remain on the site in Cornwall Park & the One Tree Hill Domain. These earthworks cover an area of approximately 45 hectares to make Maungakiekie one of the largest pa ( fortified village) in NZ. Maungakiekie erupted more than 20,000 years ago, one of 48 small volcanoes that have been formed in Auckland area over the past 150,000 years. It is Auckland’s second largest volcano. Its lava fields cover more than 20 square km, & rising to a height of 182 metres above sea level. Maungakiekie is characterized by one central, almost circular crater & two horseshoe craters to the south-east & south-west.
In the pre-European times, Maori cultivated Maungakiekie, growing kumara, yams, gourds & taro. Maugakiekie literally means “mountain of the kiekie”. It is named after the kiekie plant which grew on the Maungakiekie. Kiekie is a strong climbing plant which was used by Maori for making mats & baskets. Another Maori name for the site was Te Totara i Ahua, which refers to the sacred Totara tree that grew on the summit until the mid nineteenth century when it was cut down by vandals.
Maori history refers to Maungakiekie as the head pa of Te Wai o Hua tribe after 1720 AD. It was the main pa of Kiwi Tamaki, the paramount chief of the region. Possibly thousands of people lived on the cone, & they constructed houses, fortifications & food storage pits there.
In 1844, Thomas Henry purchased 560 hectares of land, including Maungakiekie & the surrounding area. In 1853, William Brown & John Logan Campbell bought the area from Henry & named it One Tree Hill for the great totara tree growing on the summit at the time.
In 1901, Sir John Logan Campbell, gifted Cornwall Park to the people of NZ.
In 1912, Sir John Logan Campbell died aged 95 & was buried on the summit of One Tree Hill.
In 1940, the Obelisk was completed on the summit of One Tree Hill .

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