Mai e Taramainuku,
mai e te waka o Rangi,
mai e Aituā kikini, Aituā kikino,
mai e koutou kua takahi atu ara ki a Nunumi, kia a Roroa,
whakamoe, whakamoe,
te ara ki ngā mātua, e iri nei te tahatū o te rangi,
moe atu rā koutou e hika mā e…
Tēnei te pō, nau mai e te ao.

Ngāti Ranginui Iwi extends our deepest aroha and condolences to the families and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives at Mauao and Pāpāmoa this week. Our hearts are heavy, and our people are deeply saddened by these events.

Mauao is a sacred mountain to Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pukenga and Waitaha Iwi. It holds our stories, our whakapapa, and the spiritual threads that bind our people across generations. With this tragedy, those who have passed now become part of the sacred fabric of our maunga. Their wairua will forever rest beneath the mantle of Mauao, protected and embraced for all time.

To the grieving families, we share in your sorrow. Though we cannot lessen the weight of your loss, we offer this assurance: your loved ones’ spirits will always be respected, honoured, and safeguarded within the spiritual domain of our mountain and our moana. May you find some measure of solace in knowing that their wairua is held with reverence for eternity.

Ngāti Ranginui offers our prayers, our compassion, and our collective strength to you during this time of immense grief. We stand with you, and we hold you in our hearts.

Hoki atu rā koutou, te awhi reinga atu kua kore i taea. Mā roto anō i ngā taonga whakamirimiri koutou hoki mai ai ā tōna wā, nō reira haere, whakangaro atu. Tauaraia te pō, titoko i te ao mārama, ihu ki te kei, e ngā ringa ki te kakau o te hoe, ki te muri e, kōkiri.

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