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Story: Rural tourism

Māori sculptures

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Māori sculptures

These carved whakairo (sculptures) are four of nine depicting Ngāti Porou ancestor Māui-tikitiki-a-taranga and his family. The sculptures are on Hikurangi, a mountain north of Gisborne that is sacred to the tribe. A Ngāti Porou tourism venture takes visitors on guided tours up the mountain to see the sculptures and learn about Māori history and culture.

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Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou

by Shaun Barnett

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Rural tourism – Incentives and barriers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/18840/maori-sculptures (accessed 14 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 1 March 2009.