This old pa site at Aotea Harbour was right at the doorstep of the place where we stayed for two nights. The harbour in front of the pa was named after the Aotea canoe which is said to have arrived around 1300.
The Tainui canoe arrived about 50 years later and the people from that canoe settled at nearby Kawhia, just down the coast. The Tainui and Aotea tribes lived in harmony until the 1600s when battles started because the Kawhia people were expanding.
The two tribes united when their rohe (area) came under attack around 1800 from inland Tainui. The defeated people fled south to take refuge in pa still controlled by Te Rauparaha, trekking to Taranaki and then on to Horowhenua.
For a long time after their defeat this pa site was left empty, until the defeat of Waikato by Ngapuhi at Matakitahi in 1826 when survivors from that conflict settled here.
The book said it was an easy climb to the top – no it wasn’t. The long grass came half way up my body and it was impossible walking through it. Plus there was some dead gorse in the midst of the vegetation. I did not want to disappear into an old kumera pit so I called it a day and came back down.
The pa site is not a “wahi tapu,” a sacred locality like part of the foreshore – but when I gained the ridge I felt I shouldn’t be up there.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is an ancient volcano in the central Waikato. It’s the largest predator-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world.
The mountain has been recognised as a reserve since 1912. In 2001, the community came together to form the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) with the goal to restore and protect Maungatautari’s ecosystem. In 2002, the fence build got under way and by 2004 all mammals were eradicated from the initial two enclosures. The mountain is now completely enclosed by a pest-proof fence.
The Northern Enclosure
Our walk was through the Northern enclosure. We didn’t hear any birds, they are spread out over 3400 hectares and the forest is very old and tall. The only native bird we did see was a Kingfisher (Kotare) sitting on a fence post on our way in.
Kingfisher or Kotare
You have to park your car at the Maungatautiri Marae and walk for about 45 minutes to get to the actual walk, and the last part is steep. There’s a rope to help you up if needed. The walk inside the enclosure is about 35 minutes. So budget about two hours of time for the walk including the ‘there and back.’
History
The area has a long history of settlement. The first inhabitants, the indigenous Ngāti Kahupungapunga people, were annihilated by the Maori Raukawa tribe before the 16th century. The Tainui tribes Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Korokī still own lands on the slopes.
“We are the largest predator-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world. A little fun fact: We are as big as Uluru in Australia and 10 times the size of Central Park [in New York],” SMM general manager Helen Hughes said.
Over the years, Maungatautari has become a sanctuary for endangered birds, native wildlife and plants.
Ngati Kahupungapunga | Some 400 years ago, they occupied all of the valley of the Waikato from Huntly to Taupo and Rotorua. They had many settlements along the Waikato River, including Karapiro.
Te Toto Gorge is on a winding gravel road near Raglan, further up from the famous surfing spot at Manu Bay. It’s the shortest walk with the longest coastal views. The viewing platform is built over the top of the gorge. Looking down you’ll see a fertile, sheltered amphitheatre with the remains of terraced gardens and karaka groves.
The Matakore were regarded as uri of Maui who were cultivating Mt Karioi near Whaingaroa (Raglan) at the time Kupe arrived according to Te Aotearangi Wirihana in 1888.
Te Toto means “the blood.” Te Toto may be linked to the deaths of the ancients of whom one old local (from about 1860) referred to when she indicated that the Raglan petroglyph rocks were made by the old ‘kings’ that were here before they arrived. See the article from Papers Past, dated 1869 below.
Raglan Recap, Tangata Whenua :“Now there is something else related to one of these rocks (since destroyed) for it revealed a large wet cave close by that penetrates into Mount Karuni (now called Karioi). Inside are a number of calcified skeletons, 87 in total. According to the reports of the eighteen hundreds, those that found this cave and these skeletons, were surprised to learn that the local Maori did not know of their existence…but there was a story of a very great leader who lived in the area long ago. He was here alright, and long before Maori arrived in the Tainui Canoe at Kawhia Harbour and began to roam the area before dominating and chasing the locals away.”
Sidestep, Tangata Whenua, Te Toto Gorge : “However, we want to draw attention to some place names up and down the Waikato coastline. Many are about tragedy, burning, death and sorrow. At Raglan however we have Te Toto Gorge. It means blood or bleed. Yet there are no stories or myths relating to this location in Maori folklore. All that exists are the eroded earthworks that suggest it was occupied between about 1700 and 1800. But this area was the scene of something else many hundreds of years earlier.
The original inhabitants that lived in the area were chased and forced off the cliffs and plummeted to their deaths. There the bones have lain for hundreds of years near the base of the cliffs; still buried under constant rockfall and undergrowth.”
Thefirst peopleand Kupe
Kupe and his people discovered people at various places. These people were the Mamoe, the Turehu, the Tahurangi, the Poke-pokewai, the Patupaiarehe, the Turepe and the Hamoamoa. They lived on the fronds and berries of the trees, and the roots of the earth. They were expert in preparing such foods, and in snaring and spearing the birds in forest and fish in stream. They also prepared food from the tender parts of the nikau, the tikoukou, the para and the mamaku (tree ferns).
Another name that people were called by was Te Tini-o-Toi-kai-rakau (the multitude of Toi, eater of trees). Toi being an ancestor of a section of that people. They dug the roots with long ko (spades), an implement unknown to the Maori before we came to those islands, and found those people just as Kupe had described them. Kupe was attacked by, and in return attacked those people of Karioi, near Raglan, and Aotea on the West Coast. These people were the Ngati-Matakore so-called, not the tribe of that name now living here in this island, who descend from us of “Tainui.”
Te Toto Gorge Raglan A historically significant site, the Te Toto Gorge south of Raglan, New Zealand not only boasts stunning and uninterrupted views of the rugged west coast, it also provides an insight into traditional Maori gardens.
We didn’t have time to walk down to the terraced gardens, but here’s some videos from Dave Horry, a man who explored the area.
Te Toto Te Toto (the blood) is a series of three coastal amphitheatres at the foot of Mt Karioi (the lingering).
Into Te Toto Going down into the Gorge, and exploring for an afternoon.
Abel Tasman escapes from the South Taranaki Bight/Cook Strait/Tasman Bay and runs out to sea. Then he turns east, and sees land again on 28th December. The ‘high land’ he sees is marked on his chart. He sees Mount Karioi, on the coast just south of Raglan.
A pleasant walk, 20 minutes return, leads down a bush track to a lookout with beautiful views over the Tasman Sea. Looking to the north is Ngarunui Beach and Raglan Harbour, and to the south is Manu Bay with it’s famous surf break.
I’ve zoomed in on the surfers on Manu Bay. Raglan is famous for its surfing beaches.
Looking north, Ngarunui Beach, Raglan
The waves are great for surfers at Manu Bay, but they’re eroding the rocks with ancient petroglyphs which are further up the beach, unprotected. This photo is from the National Library of NZ : Rock with Maori markings, at Raglan, circa 1920.
Historical Rocks on the Raglan coastline.“These petroglyph inscribed rocks are gradually being destroyed seemingly with the tacit sanction of some Maoris, local government and authorities.” Why aren’t the authorities exercising Kaitiakitanga (protection, guardianship) over these historic rock carvings? It’s an archeological crime.
Further up the unpaved and winding road traveling south, is Te Toto Gorge. It’s the shortest walk with the longest coastal views and looking down you’ll see a fertile, sheltered amphitheatre with the remains of terraced gardens and karaka groves.
Raglan and the west coast : Harbour 50 km south of Port Waikato, 13 km long and 2–3 km wide, with two arms fed by the Waingaro and Waitetuna rivers. Whāingaroa means ‘the long pursuit’, referring to the Tainui waka’s search for its destination. From the late 1700s the Ngāti Māhanga tribe occupied surrounding land.
Rangitoto Island, a major Auckland landmark is said to have formed over 600 years ago from a volcanic eruption. It’s a popular destination for a day trip as it’s a short ferry ride across the harbour.
A great view of Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf can be had from Rangitoto’s summit. Although there’s no natural water source on the island there’s abundant bush and birdlife.
I was amazed at how the trees have colonised the volcanic scoria.
Although at first reluctant to buy an island that was ‘all rock’, in 1854 the Crown bought Rangitoto from its Māori owners for £15. In 1890 the island became a public domain and a popular destination for picnickers and boat day trippers.
Baches were built in the 1920’s and 30’s. Most were taken down as the place is a reserve but some have been left. I’m glad these baches were left as they add a bit of character to the island. Leaving a plaque in memorial of a bach is not the same.
The Collins bach is still in use.
Walk: Auckland 55
History
Māori know the island as ‘Nga Rangi-i-totongia a Tamatekapua’ which translates to ‘the day the blood of Tama-te-kapua was shed’. Tama-te-kapua was the chief of the Arawa canoe which arrived around 1350. He fought a major battle with the iwi (tribe) from the Tainui canoe at Islington Bay on Rangitoto which was allegedly caused over adultery, and the fight that followed left Tama-te-kapua’s face bloodied and bruised.
“From Hawaiki they came with “Te Arawa” canoe; Ngatoro-i-rangi was the “Tainui” navigator. When they arrived at Rarotonga the people of that place were urged to come along also, that is to say, the people called Te Aitanga-o-Whakaahu, younger brother of Puanga; but those people said “No”—they would not agree to leave their ancestral home and come hither—so they were left behind; also Rakataura of the “Tainui” crew, because of his thievish habits. Riu-ki-uta was now the navigator, because Tama-te-kapua had taken away on his canoe the “Tainui’s” navigator Nga-toro-i-rangi, also that man’s wife Kea-taketake.”
——-
The date of 1350 for the arrival of the canoe seems wrong. How can Rangitoto be formed 600 years ago if Tainui and Arawa anchored there and had a fight? The answer is that Rangitoto Island was already formed and inhabited before the arrival of the immigrants from Tainui and Arawa. The inhabitant’s footprints are preserved in the ash of adjacent Motutapu Island. Was the 600 year date given for the formation of Rangitoto Island made to fit the arrival of the Tainui and Arawa canoes?
The Ngai Tai ki Tamaki tribe have clarified the matter. Rangitoto erupted more than once. The footprints preserved in the ash of adjacent Motutapu Island are likely to be from the Maruiwi people.
The Maruiwi
The explorer Toi was there long before the arrival of the Tainui canoe, and when Toi Te Huatahi arrived in Tāmaki he found it to be extensively settled already by the Maruiwi peoples as firstly evident by the many occupation fires visible from his arrival. Hence, Toi called this land Hawaiiki tahutahu, ‘Hawaiiki of Many Fires’.
Peretū was a key Maruiwi ancestor.
“Peretū (pere, dart; tū, pierced) was so named for his father died of a wound in battle caused by a hand-thrown dart, a weapon that was commonly used by these ancient peoples. The headland where Peretū resided is named Ō-Peretū (Fort Takapuna). Peretū had other Pā across Tāmaki, one such in the North being Te Raho-Para-a-Peretū at present day Castor Bay, North Shore, and another in the south known as Te Pounui a Peretū (Ponui Island).
At that time Peretū utilised Rangitoto for the purpose of a “Rāhui-Kākā” (Parrot Preserve), a bird then very abundant on that island. The many Kākā would thrive on the plentiful bush foods of Rangitoto for the island was covered in a forest of Rātā and Pohutukawa trees. For this reason the slopes of Rangitoto are known as “Ngā Huruhuru a Peretū” (The hairs of Peretū) in ancient times and today. Note that this period precedes the second eruption of Rangitoto.
Some of Toi’s crew stayed and intermarried with Peretū’s people. Uika, Toi’s cousin, was one who stayed in Tāmaki and intermarried. Uika settled at present day North Head, known thereafter as Maunga-a-Uika or Maungauika.
Also in these ancient times was the name Ngā Pona Toru a Peretū (The three knuckles of Peretū) which refers to the three summits of Rangitoto. Peretū had three fingers on each hand; this was not a deformity, but a sign of his descent from a godly ancestor.“
Travelling home from our holiday at the Chateau in the early spring of 2018, we pulled off SH1 at Atiamuri, the site of a dam and a prominent hill called Pohaturoa Rock. I’d zoomed past it for years without realising its significance.
The hill brooded over the flowing dark green water of the Waikato river. Eventually we found a trail along the river bank but the history from the sign board didn’t say a lot. Reading it I understood some people got killed;
“Ngāti Kahupungapunga (possibly a surviving Moa hunter tribe) occupied this site as their final stronghold but lack of food finally forced them to abandon their refuge and only five escaped with their lives. The tribe were killed by invading Ngati Raukawa of the Tainui tribe, and by 1840 the site was left empty.”
I had to dig to find out more about the tribes of this area.
The information board on the South Waikato trails seemed more interesting. There were five Waikato trails and we could have followed this path to the Whakamaru Dam if we’d had time.
As well it informed us of “talking poles,” a series of carved poles at Tokoroa, the next town north on State Highway 1, where a fierce looking pou or pole represented Raukawa, the main Tainui tribe of south Waikato.
Even though the town of Tokoroa is named after a chief of the Ngāti Kahupungapunga, there is nothing to learn of them. It goes to show history is written by the victors.
A newspaper article from 2001 proclaimed the Kahupungapunga to be a people of mystery who were cut down like pines;
NZ Herald, Pohaturoa: a historical site of rare significance
“In 1995 it was decided to harvest the pines from the hill. Before work started, however, CHH staff consulted the local iwi and sent Perry Fletcher, a local historian who had first climbed the hill in 1972, to investigate the site:
“Fletcher, well, he stumbled on a historical site of rare significance. What he found were 31 whare sites, plus gardens and numerous storage pits estimated to match the number of families that once lived in the pa – a well-preserved insight into New Zealand’s pre-colonial past. Fretting that trees could fall at any time due to old age, he warned that “if these trees are not removed they will cause significant damage to the historic features.”
At last, someone was paying attention to Pohaturoa’s story.”
The pine trees date from 1927. A photo from 1923 shows it looking quite bare. It would be nice to see the land set aside as a reserve, with a sign board about the Ngāti Kahupungapunga people and the slopes of the mountain replanted with native trees.
Walk: Central North Island 33
Who were the Ngati Kahupungapunga?
“The first people believed to have arrived in the region, says local historian Perry Fletcher, are known as the Tini o Toi. “That was just a loose name for these ancient people. They were spread throughout the country from one of the original peoples – you had Kupe and you had Toi,” he says.
Some say that Arawa explorer Tia came there and his children lived in the area, but the first people known to occupy Pohaturoa were a people of mystery, the Kahupungapunga. None can say where they came from, and in a final stand at Pohaturoa 400 years ago they were cut down like today’s pines, suffering what the Waitangi Tribunal called “their final extinction as a tribal identity.” Source: NZ Herald, Pohaturoa – the story of a New Zealand hill.
It appeared the Ngati Kahupungapunga were just a small, transient bunch of hunter gatherers. But were they? The following year one of our walks took us to the Lake Okataina. The information board at the start of the track stated the first people to settle in the area were the myriads of Maruiwi followed by myriads of Ruatamore, who were later to adopt the name Kahupungapunga. Myriads meant an innumerable number of these people.
So the Kahupungapunga tribe weren’t just a small group at Atiamuri. Where did they go? In the quiet of the lockdowns of 2020 I decided to do some research.
The name Pungapunga only exists now as the names of localities and a river. The Pungapunga once lived around Lake Okataina in the Rotorua Lakes area. There’s a track from the Outdoor Education Centre which we explored called the Waipungapunga track.
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