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Regional | Education

Te Mata Peak set for visitor’s education centre

Today, a special dawn ceremony was held on the peak to bless the site where a new visitor and education centre will be built.

Te Mata Peak, otherwise known as the sleeping giant, is one of the most significant sacred Māori sites in the Hawke's Bay area.

Today, a special dawn ceremony was held on the peak to bless the site where a new visitor and education centre will be built.

According to Jerry Hapuku, “The new visitor’s education centre being opened will hold all the history of our ancestors, the myths and legends, and we like that.”

The peak is 400ft above sea-level offering panoramic views and is a popular site for tourists and locals.

However, it's a project that never would've got this far without the approval of local Māori.

The Te Mata Peak Trust worked along Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga, who carried out the cultural assessment for the project.

It's been five years in the making, with the Peak Trust fundraising $3.2mil to date, however more is still needed, with the hopes of construction beginning in mid-2015.