About 26km north of Hamilton on SH1 is Taupiri (287m), the sacred mountain of the Tainui people. You’ll recognise it by the cemetery on its slopes and the honking of passing car horns – locals saying hi to their loved ones as they pass by. In August 2006 thousands gathered here as the much-loved Māori queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, was transported upriver by waka (canoe) to her final resting place, an unmarked grave on the summit.
