WATCH: 'Overwhelming' extent of damage from Mount Maunganui landslide revealed

A four-hour hīkoi on the ancestral mountain Mauao (Mount Maunganui) has revealed the destruction caused by the landslides that occurred in January.

Six people died as a result of the event, with one of the landslides tearing through the Beachside Holiday Park during the peak of summer vacation time.

Tauranga City Council's recovery manager, Charlie Rahiri, led a group - including representatives from the three iwi that own the maunga - to see the devastation firsthand.

The mammoth amount of earth that moved brought with it trees and rocks, which destroyed the mountain's base track.

"You can see with your eyes how much this landscape has suffered," Rahiri said in a video from the hīkoi.

“Seeing the scars upon it brings a profound sense of mamae (sadness), not only for the physical damage, but for what it represents."

Mauao Trustee Jack Thatcher said there's a lot of mahi to be done. 

"I've been to Mauao three times, and still it's overwhelming to see something that big and wonder how we are going to fix it all up."

Rahiri says the healing will take "time, care and patience", but it will be a "shared journey".

Essential repair works have begun on the site following a formal blessing earlier this month organised by Tauranga City Council, the Mauao Trust and Ngā Poutiriao o Mauao.

"While Mauao carries deep significance for its iwi owners, it is also a place that belongs in the hearts of the entire Tauranga community. Generations have walked its tracks, found peace on its summit, and drawn strength from its presence," Rahiri added.