Located close to the village of Niutoua on the northeast corner of the island, this dramatic structure (officially called a trilithon) was built from coral and limestone around 1200. Its name translates as “Maui’s Burden,” a reference to the Polynesian god Maui who, according to legend, created the Kingdom of Tonga. Various theories abound about the structure’s purpose, but the most likely is that it served as the gateway to a long-forgotten palace.
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Ha‘amonga ‘a Maui
Located close to the village of Niutoua on the northeast corner of the island, this dramatic structure (officially called a trilithon) was built from coral and limestone around 1200. Its name translates as “Maui’s Burden,” a reference to the Polynesian god Maui who, according to legend, created the Kingdom of Tonga. Various theories abound about the structure’s purpose, but the most likely is that it served as the gateway to a long-forgotten palace.
