Mauao summit access restoration work underway after blessing

Work to restore access to the summit of Mauao has started and is expected to take about four months, Tauranga City Council says.

The mountain has been closed since January 22, when six holidaymakers were killed in a landslide into the campground at its foot after heavy rain. Several investigations into the slip continue.

Mauao’s walking tracks were damaged by dozens of slips in the same storm, and several facilities at its base remain closed because of slip damage or risks.

A blessing was held on Monday to mark “an important step in the beginning of the restoration work on Mauao”, a council release said.

It said repair work could now start in line with agreed cultural, environmental and safety protocols.

“Restoring access to Motukauri (summit track network) will enable us to work on restoring the maunga.”

The council said implementing a plan to access the summit was now underway and expected to take up to about four months, depending on the weather.

It has previously said restoring the summit access would be easier than the base track, which had more damage.

Mauao Trust chairwoman Matemoana McDonald said the blessing was an expression of tikanga Māori and acknowledged the spiritual and physical wellbeing of Mauao.

The trust represents the three iwi owners of Mauao.

“This blessing is about clearing the way forward in a manner that honours our tūpuna and the significance of these sacred place,” McDonald said.

The blessing followed a community meeting last Thursday where Mayor Mahé Drysdale announced the restoration work would begin.

He also said the council was investigating replacing shipping containers placed at the base of the mountain post-slip with a bund - a mound of earth used as a protective barrier.

The meeting was told there was no estimated date for reopening other closed facilities, including the Pilot Bay boat ramp.

The council declined NZME’s request to attend the blessing, but shared a video of it on its YouTube.

It included shots of slip damage on the track to Te Tihi o Mauao, the summit.

Earth covered a section of track below a section of carved-out hillside. Broken fencing could also be seen.

It showed Mauao kaitiaki (guardians) and others in hi-vis walking on the Te Ara Motukauri (the 4WD track) to the 232m-high summit.

Drysdale yesterday said Mauao was central to the identity of Tauranga Moana, and the blessing reflected the care, collaboration and cultural leadership that guided any work on the maunga.

“Being able to return safely and appropriately to Mauao to begin repair work is a positive step forward, and it’s right that this is done alongside whānau, hapū and our Mauao partners.”