What remains is now a period of healing, a chance for Tongariro to restore itself.
Ahurei Winiata, one of the iwi representatives of Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro, was on the ground helping firefighters and whānau to put out the fire. He recalls the mamae he felt seeing his own maunga on fire.
He remembers the day as a normal one, heading out with a local dad to look for horses, only to see black smoke. He recalls:“Mōhio pū au kua mura mai te maunga… me te aroha i tēnei maunga, maunga oku.”
Knowell Fox and Tony Tūranga, co-chairmen of Te Rūnanga Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro, were awakened in the night, seeing flames over the hills. They were prepared to evacuate their whānau to safety.
The sacred pou whenua, standing as the Kaitiaki Taniwha of Tongariro, survived the flames. Its korowai was burnt, but the pou remained strong, described by iwi as “i pou tōna waewae ki te papa” The lower part of the pou, now exposed, will remain, while the upper part will be repainted and re-decorated by their artist, Edwin.
The fire prompted a new evacuation strategy, setting up assembly points for whānau to evacuate too.
Te Rūnanga Ngāti ki Tongariro has set assembly points at the three local marae.
Papakai Marae (approx. 21 km from Tongariro), Otūkou Marae (29 km), and Hikairo (Te Rena) Marae (79 km). These points allow whānau to come together, keep safe, and ensure communication during emergencies.
Turanga says “Working from the rūnanga perspective… it’s about ensuring that when something like this happens again, we have a plan to meet all needs.”
Both chairmen say that while they are prepared, they hope such a situation never occurs again.
Investigations are ongoing, but FENZ and DOC will continue to work closely with iwi over the summer.
With tourism expected to rise, FENZ urges vigilance and immediate reporting of any fire. Aidan Crawford warns,“Kia kaha te tinei ēnei momo ahi ia koe e haere i runga i ēnei maunga.”
Te anga whakamua me te rāhui a te iwi
Ka noho tonu te rāhui mō te tekau tau kia ora anō ai te maunga o Tongariro. Hei wāhanga o ā rātou mahi hei Mana Whenua, kei te āwhina a Ngāti Hikairo ki te whakahou i te whenua, ki te whakatō rākau, ki te taki karakia me te waerea, kia whakahou, kia whakahaumanu anō i a ia anō.
E mea ana a Winiata “Kia whai hau, kia whai wai, kia whai kaha anō ērā wāhanga o te maunga.”
Kei te whakamiha te iwi ki te hunga katoa i tū tahi ki a rātou i te whāruarua o te wā.
This story was recorded before the December fires at Tongariro National Park.
