Taumatauhakatangihangihangahangakoauauauauotamateaturi-pukakapikimaungaungahoronukoronukuopokanuenuakitanatahu Hill is not only a natural landmark in New Zealand, but also a Guinness Book of World Records record holder for having the world’s longest place name.
Taumata is a 305-meter hill on the North Island, off the Pacific coast, near the town of Porangahau. The hill is world famous for its long name. In the Māori language, this long word means: “The top of the hill where Tamatea, the big-kneed man who conquered mountains and explored lands, climbed and performed on the flute for his kin.”
There are even longer variations of the name of this New Zealand natural landmark with their own stories, but Taumatauakauakatangiangiangiangakoauauauauotamateateaturipuripukakapikapikamungahoronukupokanupokanuenuakitana-tahu is the classic and most established version. Māori tell us that they use the word extensively in everyday life, but more often use the shortened version, “Taumata”.
Taumata is a famous warrior who explored the land and whose name appears in many legends throughout New Zealand. The name of this warrior is immortalized not only in the name of the hill and in the legends, but also in the names of several rivers, swamps, and there is even a Taumata district in the town of Napier.
There is an ancient legend on the South Island that the warrior Taumata’s canoe was wrecked in the far south, turning into Mount Takitima. Taumata was then forced to return to the North Island, where he was remembered by his descendants. This warrior became the founder of the Ngati tribe in the Poganhau region.
As the tribe fought a battle with the enemy, Taumata’s brother was killed. Taumata was greatly shaken by this, and even spent some time at the site of his death. Every morning the warrior climbed the hill to play his flute to ease the pain of his loss. Taumata, New ZealandThis event is the reason why the hill was given this name.
