Found in the Hawke's Bay region of the north island of New Zealand, Te Mata is a beautiful natural peak, accessible to the public.
Reaching a maximum elevation of 399m, you really can see for miles around you in every direction. On a clear day it’s possible to see the local vineyards, the neighbouring towns and houses, and even the ocean in the distance.
The video here was largely shot with my DJI Spark drone, capturing some of the sights from the top and from a little further down. I was also lucky enough to bump into a mountain biker called Felix, who kindly let me film his run on the biking track.
All in all, it was a beautiful site, and one I’m glad to have captured on film. I hope you feel the video has done it justice.
The Background to Te Mata Peak
The peak was bought by an early Western settler to New Zealand called John Chambers in 1862, though eventually gifted back to the people of Hawke’s Bay in perpetuity to return the land back to its originally heritage and ensure its long-term role (and future) in the community.
Its website goes to on mention that “The Park has a rich human history spanning several centuries. The upper parts of the Park in particular have a strong cultural importance to Maori. There is evidence of past settlement including pa [a fortified village/hill fort] sites and other earthworks. The Karaka groves in the upper Te Hau Valley area and Moa bones found on the slopes suggest intensive Maori settlement.”
The Legend of Te Mata
According to legend, Te Mata was the statuesque leader of a local tribe, who was ordered to perform a series of impossible challenges in order to win his future bride, the daughter of a rival tribe.
His final task was to “bite his way through the hills between the coast and the plains so that people could come and go with greater ease.” He died doing so, and his half-finished work can be seen in what are today known as “Pari Karangaranga,” or echoing cliffs.
Finally
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