1549 days ago

New Mt Eden viewing platform offers ‘instagrammable’ views while protecting historic Māori site

Ripu Bhatia Reporter from Community News

A new boardwalk around the crater of Mt Eden wants to be Auckland’s most “instagrammable” spot, while protecting an 800 year-old Māori settlement.

The deck is perched on the northern knoll of the mountain, and offers panoramic views of the city and Waitematā Harbour.

Tūpuna Maunga Authority chair Paul Majurey said the boardwalk provides protection for the last remnants of a historic Māori site built around 1200AD.

“Maungawhau is a waahi tapu – a sacred place of immense historical, cultural and spiritual significance to the Mana Whenua iwi/hapū of Tāmaki Makaurau,” he said.

“It is also geologically important and is highly valued by the many communities that have a connection with this special place. Maungawhau is a taonga in every sense of the word.”

The boardwalk carefully winds through the tūāpapa (terraces) where the houses and gardens of the pā once sat, and the rua (pits) which were roofed for storing crops.

Visitors can now appreciate these features without causing damage.

Majurey said extensive planning for the project included a review of historic locations and World Heritage sites around the world, such as the boardwalks at Yosemite National Park in the United States and the trails around Stonehenge in England.

“With around 1.2 million people visiting Maungawhau every year, a better solution was needed to both protect the pā features and enhance the experience that visitors expect from one of the country’s most iconic Maunga,” he said.

Construction began in November 2019 and experienced some delays due to Covid-19 lockdowns.

Visitors are encouraged to place health and safety first, maintain a 2-metre physical distance from others on the Maunga and take advantage of the manual check-in feature on the NZ COVID Tracer app.

Image
More messages from your neighbours
5 days ago

Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.

When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?

Image
Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
  • 82.5% Yes
    82.5% Complete
  • 14.9% No
    14.9% Complete
  • 2.6% Other - I'll share below
    2.6% Complete
2143 votes
4 days ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

Image
16 hours ago

Test Your Wits! Today's Riddle Will Keep You Guessing!

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Only one colour, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in the sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
What is it?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

Image