A powerful hīkoi led by Mauao Trust has revealed the devastating scale of damage caused to Mauao following the deadly landslides that struck the sacred maunga earlier this year, leaving iwi leaders, officials and the wider community confronting both environmental destruction and deep cultural grief.
Representatives from the three iwi of Tauranga Moana joined Tauranga City Council recovery staff and Mauao Trust members for a four-hour hīkoi across the damaged landscape, witnessing firsthand the slips, unstable terrain and destruction caused by the severe weather event.
The January storm triggered multiple landslides across Mauao after extreme rainfall hit the Bay of Plenty region, causing widespread instability on the maunga. Six people were killed when a major landslide struck the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, while additional deaths occurred elsewhere in Tauranga during the same weather emergency.
Geotechnical assessments have since identified more than 40 landslides across Mauao, with several classified as severe and requiring major engineering intervention before any safe reopening can occur.
The hīkoi highlighted not only the physical destruction but also the spiritual and cultural impact on tangata whenua, who regard Mauao as an ancestral taonga carrying deep whakapapa significance for Tauranga Moana iwi.
Tauranga City Council says it continues working closely with Mauao Trust and iwi leaders on recovery planning, remediation work and decisions around future public access to the maunga.
Mauao remains closed to the public due to ongoing rockfall and landslip risks, with permanent fencing and exclusion zones still in place while engineers continue detailed safety assessments.
The recovery effort is expected to take months, with authorities investigating how extreme rainfall, slope instability and environmental conditions contributed to the disaster. A formal Government inquiry is also underway into the fatal landslides and the emergency response surrounding the tragedy.
Community leaders say the hīkoi was an important step in understanding the true scale of the damage while reinforcing the role of iwi as kaitiaki of Mauao throughout the recovery process.
The disaster has also intensified wider conversations about climate resilience, infrastructure planning and the increasing risks posed by severe weather events across Aotearoa.
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