Te Pāpaka Pā Site Revisited

Te Pāpaka Pā is rich in Ngāti Awa history. Many important chiefs have lived at the site. The site is located on the ridge known as Taketake. The Waiewe Stream flows between Te Pāpaka and another pā site, Puketapu. To the east is a fortified pā site called Hauwai. The name Te Pāpaka, or crab, derives from a time when the renowned Ngāti Awa ancestor, Awanuiārangi, was gathering seafood at nearby Otawaha. His wife, Ahiahiotahu, remarked that his stance was like that of a crab crawling, so the pā became known as Te Pāpaka o Awanuiārangi, later shortening it to Te Pāpaka.

The Te Pāpaka Redoubt was built in 1869 on the pā site. It was garrisoned by military settlers (able-bodied men who were given land in frontier districts in return for fighting when required). It was erected following the looting and burning of Whakatāne in March 1869.

The redoubt is still well defined and the sweeping views over the Bay of Plenty and across to the Kaimai Ranges make this a great place for a picnic.

Accessed via a short walking track from Hillcrest Road, Whakatane. There is limited parking in Seaview Road