Kiwiana: LONGEST NAME FOR A PLACE

Our featured hill can be found South of Waipukurau in Southern Hawke’s Bay, and is about 305 metres (1,001 ft) high. The height, look and feature of this hill are quite unremarkable so why are we wasting blog space for this?

Well, the name sets it apart from the rest.

Taumata¬whakatangihanga¬koauau¬o¬tamatea¬turi-pukakapiki¬maunga¬horo¬nuku¬pokai¬whenua¬kitanatahu

(Moari name for the hill; often shortened to Taumata) is the longest place name found in an English-speaking country. The Guiness Book of World Records also listed it as the longest (at 85 letters long). Try saying it and you’d agree that it is more than a mouthful.

The name roughly translates as “The summit where Tamatea, the man with big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one”. So when you get the chance, visit “Taumata” and have your photo taken at the signage which can be found at the foot of the hill.