Te Urewera National Park was a national park near the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, established as such in 1954 and disestablished in 2014, when it was replaced by a new legal entity and protected area named Te Urewera. The park covered an area of approximately 2,127 km<sup>2</sup> and was located in the north of the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island. It was the largest of four national parks in the North Island and the most isolated rainforest in the region.
History
Owing to its geographical isolation, the region was one of the last to be claimed by the British during colonisation in the 19th century. It ceased to be a national park under the Te Urewera Act 2014, becoming Te Urewera, the first natural resource in the world to be awarded the same legal rights as a person.
Name
Te Urewera is the traditional home of the Tūhoe people. The name means "burnt penis" in the Māori language and reflects a local legend.
See also
- Protected areas of New Zealand
References
External links
- Te Urewera, Department of Conservation
- Te Urewera Act 2014
- Journeys in National Parks: Te Urewera, 1987 documentary at NZ On Screen
- Tourism information page