Tauhara 500-Year Vision: Restoring the Cloak of Mt Tauhara | Official Taupō Website

Reconnecting hands and hearts on Tauhara maunga

At the eastern edge of Taupō township, Tauhara Maunga rises with quiet authority. For those who live here, and the thousands who pass by on State Highway 1 each day, the maunga is a constant presence — a tūpuna, an ancestor, and a symbol of the region. For Ngāti Tūwharetoa, its significance runs even deeper: Tauhara is a gateway, a place of cosmological importance, and a living reminder of whakapapa.

Now, a new chapter is unfolding. Under the guidance of environmental engineer and iwi leader Jan Hania, the Te-Mana-o-Tauhara project is taking shape. With a 500-year vision, the kaupapa aims to restore biodiversity, heal soils, bring back native flora and fauna, and create pathways for social and cultural reconnection. The idea of “restoring the cloak of Tauhara” captures both the ecological regeneration and the healing of people and place.

Already, the mahi is gaining momentum. Planting days during Matariki have seen more than 1,000 local schoolchildren dig their spades into the soil over the last two years. Regional councils, local trusts, iwi-owned businesses, and community volunteers are all involved. Together, they’re building something that will outlast generations.

For visitors to Taupō, this means Tauhara will become more than just a good walk for views — it will be a living example of regeneration, alive with birdsong and native forest.

Q&A with Jan Hania

[LT] For people who haven’t met you, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

[JAN] Kia ora, ko Jan Hania ahau. Ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa tōku iwi. I’m trained in environmental engineering and have worked in government, consulting, and governance. I led the Lake Taupō Protection Project 15 years ago and now focus on large scale restoration and regeneration here and overseas. Alongside Tauhara, I also chair Opepe Farm Limited Partnership. This work combines my professional background with my whakapapa — giving back to the land and people I belong to.

[LT] What’s your personal connection to Tauhara Maunga?

[JAN] My mum always brought us back to Taupō because of our whakapapa links to Tūwharetoa. A couple of years ago I offered to help some of the land trusts, and within months I was chairing a Māori collectively-owned farm enterprise, Opepe, and then helped set up Te-Mana-o-Tauhara Trust. It’s been a privilege to contribute back to this place.

[LT] In simple terms, what is the Tauhara restoration project about?

[JAN] It’s about regeneration — of the land, biodiversity, and ourselves. If we can restore soils, bring back native species, and build social enterprises around food and resilience, while also reconnecting people to place, then we’ve succeeded. I must also humbly acknowledge the various Trustees, Land Trusts and their respective owners that steward the land and generously collaborate, to enable access onto the maunga and to enable this vision. Without their support, this couldn’t happen.

[LT] You’ve spoken about a 500-year vision. What does that mean in practice?

[JAN] It means thinking beyond our lifetimes. By planting trees, improving soil health, removing pests, and bringing back birds and flora in a collaborative way, we set in motion cycles of restoration that can last for centuries.

[LT] How does this project connect to wider conservation efforts?

[JAN] Our neighbours at Wairākei Pastoral are also restoring land, and groups like Greening Taupō, DOC, local councils, and iwi entities have been strong partners. Nature doesn’t recognise fences — it takes many hands and many hearts.

[LT] Why is Tauhara so important culturally and ecologically?

[JAN] Tauhara is a tūpuna — an ancestor. It’s the gateway, the marae ātea, to the Tūwharetoa rohe. When our ancestor Ngātoroirangi stood on Tauhara after arriving on the Te Arawa waka, it became part of our cosmology and whakapapa. It’s connected to Tongariro, Te Kāhui Maunga, and beyond. That’s why it holds such deep significance.

[LT] What does “restoring the cloak of Tauhara” mean to you?

[JAN] It’s about more than planting trees. It’s restoring cycles of life — the soils, the water, the species — and also healing ourselves. Thousands see Tauhara every day. If it can also inspire others across the country and world, we’ve done our job.

[LT] How is the community involved?

[JAN] Over 1,000 schoolchildren have already planted trees. Whānau, volunteers, community members, professionals, iwi-owned businesses, DOC specialists, councils — they’ve all been part of it. Planting days, especially around Matariki, bring people together in a really joyful way.

[LT] Can visitors get involved too?

[JAN] Yes. Right now the best way is through Matariki planting days coordinated by Greening Taupō. In time, there’ll be more volunteering opportunities — planting, trapping, monitoring, and so on. The main thing is to walk with respect and help when you can.

[LT] How will the project change the experience for the 30,000 people who climb Tauhara each year?

[JAN] We’re about to upgrade the track thanks to support from the Nankervis Trust. The first stage is up to the bush line, making it safer and more accessible for everyone. Our dream is to restore the whole maunga, so people walk through flourishing native bush, alive with birdsong.

[LT] What do you hope people will see and feel in the future?

[JAN] In 10 years I want people to see Tauhara as the jewel of the region — flourishing with native life, celebrated worldwide as a place of healing and reconnection.

[LT] What’s been the biggest win so far?

[JAN] Joy. Seeing whānau, landowners, and community members planting together and reconnecting with the land with large smiles on their faces, has been the most rewarding outcome.

[LT] Finally, what’s one small thing every person can do to help care for Tauhara?

[JAN] Walk with respect. That’s the most important thing. And be ready to pitch in when the time comes.

Tauhara has always stood as a symbol of Taupō. Now, through the vision of Te-Mana-o-Tauhara Trust, the respective Land Trusts and the Te Mana o Tauhara project team and wider community support, it is becoming a living example of regeneration. The journey will be long but every tree planted, every bird that returns, and every child who lends a hand is part of that legacy.

Whether you’re a visitor climbing the track, a local joining a planting day, or someone admiring from afar, the invitation is open: walk with respect, take part when you can, and help restore the cloak of Tauhara.