Te Ipu kōrero ki Maungawhau

At the connection from the main room through to the visitor centre is a massive 12-foot-tall contemporary interpretation of a waharoa and palisade – a formal entrance way to important sites such as pā (fortified settlements).

Inside, a series of large-scale information panels are positioned strategically around the room to guide people through a story, from the geological and Māori narratives of how Tāmaki Makaurau was formed, to the cultural and spiritual significance of the Maunga and the history of the Maungawhau pā (fortified settlement), through to the modern-day care and protection of the Maunga.  A key feature is the movie theatre playing a short film about early Māori settlement in Tāmaki Makaurau and the establishment of pā across the Maunga network.

The narration is set against a backdrop of spectacular aerial flights over the Maunga, which allow viewers to see remnants of the pā settlements that are difficult to notice at ground level.

A highlight of the centre is the interactive augmented reality experience which uses tablets over a 3D scale model of Maungawhau.

It takes the user back in time to experience the volcanic eruption of Maungawhau 28,000 years ago, the fully inhabited Maungawhau pā which was first established around 1200AD, through to modern day.

The tethered tablets allow the user to move around the model and zoom in to witness lava flows during the eruption and then life on the pā showing whare (houses), rua (pits for food storage) and mara kai (food gardens) which once sat on the terraced slopes of Maungawhau.

Authority and agency staff worked with Mana Whenua representatives, geologists and archaeologists to ensure the augmented reality was true to historical narratives and documented history of Maungawhau.

Te Ipu Kōrero o Maungawhau is open on weekends and admission is free.