85 or 92 letters.
Visitors climb the hill in four-wheel-drive vechicles. 'The Duke of Edinburgh Hotel' invites them to buy a "Collectors"
Longest Place Name Bottle of Hawkes Bay Chardonnay or Cab Merlot."
Hawkes Bay Tourism's Internet site says that Porangahau in New Zealand's South Island, "boasts the longest place
name in the world: Tetaumatawhakatangihangakoautamayeaurehaeaturipukapihimaungahoronukuookaiwhenuaakitanarahu, officially
entered in the 'Guinness Book of Records." That stretches the name to 92 letters.
It says the name means "The place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed, and swallowed mountains, known as land eater, played his flute to his loved ones."
After ascending the hill Gavin Kingsley, of Christchurch, in New Zealand's South Island, photographed a road sign
showing the name.
The translation he says, is "The brow of the hill where Tamatea, with the bony knees, who slid and climbed mountains, the great traveller, sat and played on the flute to his beloved."
With a touch of cynicism, Gavin adds "Local history has it that the part about the knees and climbing mountains was
added recently to make the name more interesting."
This is in "The Guinness Book of Records."