Kaitiakitanga - Guardianship

At Hamurana Nature Park, we operate as kaitiaki (guardians) charged with protecting, maintaining and respecting our many springs (including Te Puna o Hangarua) and surrounding park land.

Our work includes everything from the maintenance of tracks, equipment and buildings, water care, through to taiao (environment) based partnerships with a range of local groups and organisations.

Understanding te taiao was a critical part of Ngati Rangiwewehi survival and the importance of environmental signals, continues in our mahi to date.

Traditionally, Ngati Rangiwewehi followed cues from the environment around when to fish and forage, as well as when to limit catch species and numbers. Freshwater koura were a great example of this, and only fished from December through to March, in order to allow the koura time to reproduce and grow, for the following season.

A study on freshwater fish and fauna which spanned 47 years was completed by Victoria University in 2018. This research highlighted the great decline in native species of fish due to habitat loss and pollution caused by various land use practices like damming and irrigation.

At Hamurana Nature Park we re-live the principles of our tūpuna in the mahi we do. This includes pest control to contribute to the revitalisation of native fish and birds.

Before its return to iwi in 2015, all the parks maintenance costs were covered by the New Zealand tax payer and Rotorua ratepayers. This is no longer the case.

By visiting Hamurana Nature Park 100% of your entrance fee goes towards the maintenance and development of the park and the sustainable future of Hamurana Springs.

With your contribution to maintaining our pristine waters, we hope to restore it, to once again being a home, to a multitude of thriving native species. 

Our Kaitiaki

Marnie Flavell, Customer Service and Park Guide.

Marnie is the friendly face you'll see when you arrive at Hamurana Nature Park. He looks after ticketing and bookings for locals, schools and other groups and is always willing to assist our visitors to get the most out of their time here.

Carlos Manga, Park Maintenance.

Carlos is our hands on guy and takes care of all the maintenance work within the park - from the grounds and tracks, to structures, planting and more.

Partnerships

• Hamurana Pest Free are an amazing bunch of volunteers that we work collaboratively with, to protect our native flora and fauna from pests. The team operates on a roster system and do an amazing job!