In 1993 Tongariro National Park became the first property to be inscribed
on the World Heritage List under the revised cultural criteria describing
cultural landscapes. The mountains at the heart of the park have cultural
and religious significance for the Maori people and symbolize the spiritual
links between this community and its environment. The park contains active
and extinct volcanoes, a diverse range of ecosystems and highly scenic
landscapes.
Te Porere Redoubt (1869)
Highway 47, 26 km southwest of Turangi (near Tongariro National
Park)
Te Porere contains the earthworks of a Maori fortification
built by the prophet and warrior Te Kooti and is the site
of the last major engagement of the New Zealand Wars in October
1869. Just beyond the northern boundary of Tongariro National
Park, the site is both a Maori and a historic reserve and
has been administered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
since 1959.
