Impact In the Community
Hikurangi Dawn Ceremony
Date: Held on 1st January every year
Since the millennium when the Maui whakairo were erected the Dawn Ceremony has become an annual event of the Ngāti Porou Calendar. Organised by Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou the Dawn Ceremony has huge significance in that Hikurangi Maunga is the first place in the world to see the sun.
This celebration provides the opportunity for Ngāti Porou and manuhiri to welcome in the new year and the first rays of Tama-Nui-Te-Ra aloft our sacred mountain. It is here among these nine spectacularly carved whakairo, the ceremony begins with a karanga and karakia, followed by haka, waiata, and kōrero acknowledging our tīpuna and the stories carved into the pou.
The Hikurangi Dawn Ceremony has become a treasured tradition in the iwi calendar. Attendees assemble at 3:30am at the Pakihiroa Woolshed before ascending the 10.5km journey by 4WD to the summit. The experience concludes with a shared BBQ breakfast back at Pakihiroa, a time for reflection, connection, and celebration.
Whether it's your first time or you’re returning, the Hikurangi Dawn Ceremony is a uniquely Ngāti Porou way to step into the new year: grounded in whakapapa, immersed in tikanga, and guided by the first light of the sun.
