A modest New Zealand hill and the story behind its unimaginable name (11 photos + 1 video)

Near the town of Porangahau in southern Hawke Bay, New Zealand, stands an unremarkable hill with an exceptionally remarkable name.





Its full name reads and sounds like "Taumata whakatangi hangakoaau o Tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu," which roughly translates to "the peak where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed, and swallowed mountains, played the flute for his beloved."



Porangahau is a small town with a population of 150.

For brevity, the hill is simply called Taumata.





85-character sign with the town name. The hilltop is visible in the distance, in the center.

Taumata is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the place with the longest name in the world. It consists of 85 letters (in English transcription). However, even longer versions of the name exist, including a 105-letter version.



This version translates as "the hill where Tamatea, a man blown here from afar by the wind, who broke his knees while climbing mountains, who fell to the ground and circled the earth, played the flute for his beloved," or something along those lines.



Old hill nameplate, 2013

This same Tamatea with the bruised knees was one of New Zealand's greatest explorers, the Maori Marco Polo. He circumnavigated both the North and South Islands and explored the interior, earning him the nickname "the one who encircled the earth," or "Tamatea, the explorer of the land."



Maori chief. The legendary Tamatea may have looked something like this.

According to legend, Tamatea was traveling near Porangahau when he encountered another tribe and was forced to fight. His brother died in the battle. Overwhelmed by grief, Tamatea remained at the battlefield for several days. Every morning, he climbed the hill and played a dirge on his koauau, a small nose flute.



The koauau is a traditional Maori flute played through the nose.

Although the hill itself is rather unremarkable, the sign in front of it with its record-breakingly long name has become a must-see for tourists taking memorable photos.