Guardians of the land: Manaaki Ranger Mere Turanga on caring for Tongariro
Te Araroa Tales: Local Stories from New Zealand’s Long PathwayShow Notes
"We are the kaitiaki. We're here to nurture this land because it allows us to live on it, so we need to look after it"
Every year, over 100,000 visitors walk the world famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
Waiting to greet them before their hike is Mere Turanga, a local Manaaki Ranger dedicated to keeping hikers safe while sharing the deep cultural and spiritual significance of this living landscape.
In this conversation, Mere shares what it means to be a kaitiaki (guardian) of Tongariro, the morning rituals that ground her work, collaborating with the Department of Conservation, and how her community grieved and healed alongside the whenua after the devastating Tongariro wildfires in 2025.
Show notes:
Te Reo Māori Glossary for this episode: Kaitiaki (guardian), Manaaki (to welcome/care for others), Manuhiri (visitors), Rāhui (temporary restriction/period of respect), Whenua (land), Tauiwi (foreigners), Tapu (sacred, spiritually protected or restricted), Maunga (Mountain), Whenua (the land or earth, also means placenta - symbolising the unbreakable connection between people and their place of birth), Whānau (extended family), mokopuna (grandchildren or the future generations to come), mai rā anō (from long ago; existing forever and ever into eternity)
For more extensive definitions head to Te Aka online Māori dictionary: https://maoridictionary.co.nz/
Learn more about the role of Maanaki Rangers: https://blog.doc.govt.nz/2026/04/01/tongariro-alpine-crossing-how-to/
More information about the 2025 wildfires in Tongariro, and how you can donate the recovery fund if you'd like to: https://nznaturefund.org/news/tongariro-national-park-fire/#:~:text=After%20several%20days%20of%20extensive%20aerial%20firefighting,and%20recovery%20will%20be%20a%20long%20road.
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