The Māngere Mountain Education Centre sits within beautiful gardens on the side of Te Pane ō Mataoho on Coronation Road.
BY SHARLEEN McCLAY
The heart of the Centre are our guides, Leilani, Elleshia and Ayla, and our gardener, Koro Richard.
Their combined knowledge of Te Ao Māori, Te Pane ō Mataoho, volcanic history and traditional gardening mean that your visit will both teach you something and spark an interest to learn more.
The Centre is a busy educational hub filled daily with groups from the community and all levels of education from early childhood through to tertiary.
Groups arrive to a karanga and mihi whakatau welcoming them and introducing the maunga and guides. They then proceed up the maunga on a hīkoi that focuses on either Māori or volcanic history.
Our guides take the lead, pointing out significant areas of interest and helping people to imagine life on our maunga in pre-European times.
Once back at the Centre, groups take part in a variety of activities from planting and harvesting kūmara, to working with harakeke (flax) or learning about the healing properties of plants in the māra rongoā (medicinal garden).
During the school holidays, we generally offer both our Māori and volcanic hīkoi to the public, so please come join us! It’s a great opportunity to meet our guides, stretch your legs and deepen your knowledge of our area.
Check out our Facebook page, or search for ‘Māngere Mountain’ on www.eventfinda.co.nz to confirm dates and times.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming open days in Kīngi Tāwhiao’s cottage, an amazing piece of New Zealand and local history lovingly restored and moved to our grounds.
(note the Māngere Mountain Education Centre also has a website – click here)
