Hi Curious Kids,
Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu! We assure you, that this is not gibberish but rather the longest name in the world. This name belongs to a hill in New Zealand and is a staggering 85 letters long, you can count it, it’s okay we’ll wait.
History of the Hill

The story of Taumata Hill is a sad tale, of loss and grief. Before we begin, we must first understand the meaning of this record-breaking name. Directly translated ‘Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu’ means ‘the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as ‘landeater’, played his flute to his loved ones.’
We all want to know why this hill has such a specific name, and a seemingly sad one as well. So, let’s spin the tale of Taumata and the story of the hill. Taumata’s fame came from his bravery as a warrior and intense wisdom as a chief.


On his journey travelling on the back of Porangahau he encountered another tribe, that refused them passage through the area. A fight begun so that Taumata and his warriors could get through. Amidst this intense battle Taumata brother died. Taumata was naturally consumed with grief over the loss of his brother!
He stayed at the battle site for many days mourning his brother. Each morning Tamatea would sit on the hill and play a mourning song on his koauau (flute). That’s how this hill got its record-breaking name! Taumata Hill can be found south of Waipukurau on the right of Wimbeldon road. The sign is a great chance for a photo opportunity, but the actual hill is restricted as it is private property.

Names are so sentimental and can mean variety of different things. The beauty of it is how they can be shared in different cultures.
Stay curious and keep exploring kids!