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Story: Tāwhirimātea – the weather

Pīhanga

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Pīhanga

In some traditions, sleet and drifting snow are the children of the mountains Pīhanga and Tongariro, in the central North Island, which are often covered in snow.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10052503

by Peter Simpson

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Tāwhirimātea – the weather – Cold weather, mist and rainbows, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/8289/pihanga (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 March 2022.