Rarotonga Mount Smart

Rarotonga, meaning 'the lower south' in reference to its Hawaiki origins, was once an 87-meter high terraced pā. Its explosive eruptions and fire fountaining around 20,000 years ago created a scoria cone with a small crater at the tihi. Lava flows from the eruption now form the foreshore of the Manukau harbour at Māngere. The maunga was heavily quarried from 1865 to the 1960s, leaving only the lower slopes on the southern and eastern sides. These slopes were planted with Pohutukawa trees in the 1940s.

Today, the quarry is the site of the Mt Smart Stadium, a premier outdoor concert, festival, and sports venue that attracts over 500,000 visitors annually. The stadium features an international standard athletics facility, multi-purpose function spaces, and community-focused facilities. It's home to Athletics Auckland, Auckland Football Federation, Oceania Football Confederation, and the Vodafone Warriors.