Whiria — The Sacred Mountain of the Hokianga, Northland, New Zealand

Whiria rises from the Hokianga farmland in perfect symmetry, its flanks electric green under a shaft of afternoon sun, cloud shadows playing across the slopes. A solitary cross marks the summit of this deeply significant maunga — sacred to the tangata whenua of the Hokianga and a landmark visible across the harbour for generations. Few mountains in Northland carry the same spiritual weight or photographic presence as Whiria on a clear day.