January 29 - February 27, 2025 New Zealand January 20

Today our journey takes us through Otorohanga, Hamilton, and Bombay to Auckland, where we will visit Cornwall Park.

Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill (The one-tree hill) or “Maungakiekie” in the language of the Māori is the remnant of an ancient volcano located in the city of Auckland on the North Island of New Zealand. It is a significant memorial site for both Māori and other New Zealanders.

The mountain was named “One Tree Hill” by Pākehā, the European settlers, because there was once only one tree at the summit. Today the hill is treeless. The Māori name means “Mountain of Kiekie,” a climbing plant that is unique to New Zealand. The view from the summit of One Tree Hill is very popular.

The Auckland Volcanic Field is a volcanic area with 49 volcanoes that have erupted in the last 150,000 years. Among these, Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill is one of the largest volcanoes, reaching a height of 183 m, formed by an eruption about 20,000–30,000 years ago. The lava flow extended 2.4 km to the coast. It created lava rock in the form of a cinder cone. The total volume amounted to 325,000 cubic meters. Cinder stones were still being extracted until 1957, totaling about 25,000 cubic meters removed.

Cornwall Park, which surrounds the mountain, is named after the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, who later became King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom.

The “Mount Prospect Estate” area was sold in 1853 to John Logan Campbell and his business partner William Brown. They named it “One Tree Hill” at that time. Although Campbell did not live there himself, he let the farm be managed. After twenty years, Campbell dissolved the partnership with Brown and became the sole owner of the One Tree Hill Estates.

John Logan Campbell became the Mayor of Auckland in 1901 during a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. He gave the park's land rights to the couple. Since then, all matters of the park have been managed by trustees.

The landscape architecture was designed and implemented by Austin Strong after the model of the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Both parks have very large open spaces and trees arranged in groups. The official opening took place in 1903 in front of the “Huia Lodge,” which is now an information center.