Matemateāonga Range

The Matemateāonga Range is a range of rugged hills in the northern Manawatū-Whanganui region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the western side the Whanganui River between Wanganui and Taumarunui.

39°26′S 174°31′E

The 1970s proposed Cape Egmont to East Cape walkway

Starting in the late 1970s the then Department of Survey and Land Information embarked on a project to link Cape Egmont to East Cape by a walkway.

The Matemateāonga Range section of the ‘Cape Egmont to East Cape’ walkway was completed in the 1970s. The Matemateāonga Range section still remains in use. It was a traditional Māori trail, then dray track in the early 20th century. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

References

1. Barnett, Shaun (17 May 2015). "Wild Range: Matemateaonga Range". Wilderness Magazine. 51a Riverlea Avenue, Pakuranga, Auckland 2010: Lifestyle Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 23 February 2020. No wonder Maori had a route along it and Europeans planned to build a road over the crest, too. Some work on the road was completed in the early part of the 20th century but, happily for trampers, it never became much more than a dray road.
2. "Matemateāonga Track". www.doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation (New Zealand) (DOC) (Māori: Te Papa Atawhai). 23 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020. Penetrate deep into the wilderness of the Whanganui National Park on old Maori trail and settlers' dray road.
3. McDonald, Pete (2011). Foot-tracks in New Zealand: Origins, Access Issues and Recent Developments (PDF). Pete McDonald. p. 93. ISBN 0473190958. Ian Church, however, has suggested that 'it[Matemateāonga Track] was probably along this track [which he calls the Whaka-ihu-waka track] that Wiremu Kingi Te Koroiti led his people to the support of Ihaia Kirikumara at Karaka Pa on the Waitara River during the Puketapu feud of 1857.