{"id":420299,"date":"2026-05-10T02:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T02:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/420299\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T02:34:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T02:34:08","slug":"hopukiore-caves-sealed-at-mount-maunganui-after-vandalism-and-littering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/420299\/","title":{"rendered":"Hopukiore caves sealed at Mount Maunganui after vandalism and littering"},"content":{"rendered":"

\" The designs developed in partnership with mana whenua have been laser-cut into the corten steel panels. Photo \/ Kelly O\u2019Hara<\/p>\n

The panels also include gated access for maintenance and rubbish removal.<\/p>\n

Law said it was hoped removing public access to the caves would protect them from littering and vandalism and reduce antisocial behaviour in the area.<\/p>\n

The caves have long-standing cultural importance, with Hopukiore having been a site for t\u0101 moko (traditional tattooing), with kiore (native rat) teeth and bones used as tools. <\/p>\n

Following the Battle of Hopukiore in 1820, its caves were used for burials, and the site remains a w\u0101hi tapu (sacred place).<\/p>\n

\" The corten steel panels sealing the caves also include gated access for maintenance and rubbish removal. Photo \/ Kelly O\u2019Hara<\/p>\n

In the 1840s, the 40-metre high Hopukiore was used by British troops as a military base. The 80th Regiment occupied the hill from 1842 to 1843. In 1852, Commander Byron Drury, after surveying the Bay of Plenty aboard HMS Pandora, was recognised by naming it Mount Drury.<\/p>\n

More recently, a man lived in one of the caves for two years<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe cave protection was not specifically implemented as a response to homelessness, although mana whenua did express a desire for the caves to be protected for this reason as well,\u201d Law said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe request to seal the caves predates the period when people were living in them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Law said safety concerns related to landslides or rocky slopes were not a factor in the decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cCouncil has been working on a range of improvements at Hopukiore and has been actively engaging with mana whenua, Heritage New Zealand and the accessibility community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The original total budget for the pathway and cave works was about $400,000, with representatives of Ng\u0101ti Kuku and Ng\u0101i Tukairangi hap\u016b consulted on the upgrade.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Hopukiore caves were once used for burials and are regarded as a sacred place. Photo \/ Kelly O\u2019Hara<\/p>\n

As part of the improvements, a missing section of pathway along Pacific Ave had been completed, creating a continuous loop around the base of the reserve, and requiring the removal of two of the 12 car parks. On the Maunganui Rd side, a timber boardwalk had replaced sections of steep and narrow path, improving accessibility.<\/p>\n

The footpath upgrades were completed mid-2025 and the cave sealing was finished last month.<\/p>\n

Law said engagement on the project had also informed plans to upgrade the existing playground, with a strong focus on inclusivity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe timing of construction will be aligned with the plans for reopening Mauao, which will need to be staged, and it must be based on safety evidence,\u201d Law said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The designs developed in partnership with mana whenua have been laser-cut into the corten steel panels. Photo \/…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":420300,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[74,95,1975,17520,1558,80067,32143,114704,2004,5504,305,6628,153119,41186,74384,17707,19722,13233,111,43,139,69,215808,10903,10665,80517,5257,1529,215807,26995,189903,102],"class_list":["post-420299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-after","tag-and","tag-at","tag-barriers","tag-been","tag-caves","tag-culturally","tag-drury","tag-engagement","tag-following","tag-have","tag-historic","tag-hopukiore","tag-littering","tag-mana","tag-maunganui","tag-maunganuis","tag-mount","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-patterned","tag-popular","tag-reserve","tag-sealed","tag-significant","tag-three","tag-uniquely","tag-vandalism","tag-whenua","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/420300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}