Starts at 64 Pigeon Mountain Road, Half Moon Bay
Ōhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain was formed by volcanic eruptions 24,000 years ago. A scoria cone was formed by fountaining eruptions with a small lava flow running down the valley before halting at the head of present-day Wakaaranga Creek.
The Māori name means ‘the desire of Rangi and Pakuranga’, while the English name refers to the numerous kererū (wood pigeon) living in the area in early settler times.
Ōhuiarangi was unfortunately quarried during much of the 20th century and when quarrying finally stopped in the 1970s, half the cone had disappeared.
Despite this, defensive earthworks of the Māori pā still exist on the remnant of the scoria cone.
Ownership of Ōhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain was returned to mana whenua as part of a 2014 Te Tiriti o Waitangi redress and is managed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.
You can start the path next to Pigeon Mountain Kindergarten, where you’ll find plenty of parking. There are public toilets next to the sports field which you can see from the car park. If you’re bringing your dog along, make sure they remain on leash at all times and don’t go on the sports field.
At the beginning of the path, you’ll see where the community has planted native shrubs and trees to restore native vegetation and habitat for wildlife. The walk to the tihi (summit) is across grass and there are a few flights of stairs, so is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
There are wonderful views from the tihi, and you can even spot the Sky Tower in the distance.
The path is a short 15 minutes there and back, but you can easily extend it by 10 minutes by walking across the sports field.
If you are walking the Half Moon Bay to Wakaaranga Creek path, or the Pakuranga Rotary Path, adding Ōhuiarangi is a worthwhile small detour.
