Mount Hikurangi

Hikurangi rises to 1,752 metres in the Raukumara Range behind the East Cape, and because of its longitude and height it is among the first substantial points of land on the New Zealand mainland to see the sun each day - which is why the millennium dawn was marked here. It is the sacred mountain of Ngati Porou, the first land to emerge when Maui hauled up the fish in the tradition, and near the summit stand nine carved whakairo of Maui and his family, installed for the year 2000. Access is not simply a public track: the mountain sits on Ngati Porou land and visits are arranged through the iwi, whether as a guided trip, a 4WD transfer or a stay at the hut. That arrangement is the correct route and also the practical one, since the road is rough and the walk long. Weather on the tops is serious and can close in quickly.

What you actually see

• The sunrise - among the first on the mainland, the reason most come.
• The nine carvings - Maui and his family, near the summit.
• The Raukumara Range - the country behind the East Cape.
• The summit ridge - above the bushline, exposed.

When to go

November to April. Arrange access through Ngati Porou in advance - this is not a turn-up-and-walk mountain. Sunrise trips mean an overnight or a very early start.

Honest expectations

Access is through the iwi and must be booked; the road in is 4WD and rough. It is a sacred maunga, and there are protocols on the mountain to follow. Alpine weather, no shelter above the bushline, and the summit is often in cloud.

Nearby

Ruatoria and the East Cape lighthouse are on the coast; Gisborne is south.