A place for reflection, the Tamahere Cultural Reserve is all about the history and the deep connection of the land to the whenua. Visitors can gain better understanding of the landscape through which the Hamilton section of the Waikato expressway traverses. Storyboards tell of early life in the area, much of which centred around gardening.
The reserve includes a lookout to view the surrounding landscape and paa sites, a food storage house (paataka) and a rua (borrow pit) created by pre-European gardeners.
Within 300 metres of the reserve are the archaeological remnants of two paa sites and evidence of intensive gardening with rua and maara kai (cultivations).
Before the expressway construction began, archaeological investigations found a large group of rua, fireplaces and garden features. Further analysis has helped piece together a picture of gardening practices in this area. The rua in this reserve is preserved for future generations.
This is a screw-top plastic tube geocache wearing some camouflage. Bring your own pen please. It shouldn't be too hard to find. When you put the cache back, please replace it the way you found it so that it blends in with its immediate surroundings - this should be fairly obvious. Let me know if there are any problems with it.
Thanks to FMZ for guidance with this cache hide.