Maungatautari is a 797-metre-high, 1.8 million-year-old volcanic mountain immediately southeast of Cambridge. It is now known as Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and has a 47-km-long predator-proof fence around the entire peak, at about 400 metres, which protects 3,400 hectares of native forest.
The maunga was first recognised as a reserve in 1912. In 2001, the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) was formed by the local community, landowners, and iwi. The goal is to eliminate all pests and predators on Maungatautari, thereby restoring the ecosystem to pre-human conditions.
There are two options for entering Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari; from the north side on Hicks Road, off Maungatautari Road, or from the south on Tari Road, off Arapuni Road.
The Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari visitor centre is on the south side of the maunga. There is a $25 fee per adult to enter the best section of the bird sanctuary, Te Tūī a Tāne. Access is from 9 am to 4 pm, and there are several easy short trails through the forest with bird feeders.
Watching kākā parrots from a lookout in the treetops is a highlight. Other rare native birds you may see or hear include pītoitoi (robins), hīhī, tīeke and kōkako, plus tākahe in the separate Tautari wetland enclosure.
There is also free entrance to the Wairere Traverse, which connects to Te Tonga Track, a tramping track that reaches the maunga highpoint Pukeatua in about 90 minutes. From there, you can continue to the north side of the maunga or use Wairere to make an easier return.
