Tag: Te Puke

Otanewainuku, Bay of Plenty

Walk #194, 11th April 2026

Otanewainuku rises to 640m high and is covered in virgin forest. A loop track leads to the lookout tower which is too overgrown to give spectacular views. We were fortunate while up there to meet Patricia, a fit and inspirational local who regularly climbs the track to the summit for exercise.

We started the track clockwise and met a little robin on our way up. There are kiwi in the forest as well.

The walk was done the day before Cyclone Vaianu arrived in the Bay of Plenty. We did the Rimu Loop walk on 17th December 2025.

Walk: Bay of Plenty 10

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Links

Ōtanewainuku Forest

Otanewainuku Ecological District

Kiwi Trust:
LEGEND

Meaning of name Ōtānewainuku:
This sacred mountain of Waitaha is 645m high with many settlements located on and around
it. Ōtānewainuku is the headwater of many local streams and its name means “the many
waters that spring forth from the domain of Tāne (the god of the forests)”. Another definition
is “the mountain of the parting waters, where the clouds meet the land, and the rain leaves the
sky.” Source: waitaha-iwi.org.nz

Papamoa Hills Regional Park

Walk 20, 28 Oct 2019

We walked uphill through grassland to a pa site at the summit of the Papamoa Hills Regional Park, a climb of 224 metres.  There are sweeping views of the hills and coast from Te Puke and Papamoa to Mount Maunganui.

Papamoa Hills panorama

We saw a very tame quail sitting on a fence post, he was obviously used to walkers.

Papamoa Hills Regional Park

“Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park (Te Rae o Papamoa) includes a number of important pre-European archaeological features. The sites have significance to three iwi (Maori tribal groups) – Ngaiterangi, Ngati Pukenga (of Mataatua) and Waitaha A Hei (of Te Arawa). There are at least seven pa sites (forts) in the park, and others can be seen in the surrounding landscape.” Source: 100% Pure NZ 

Links

This bowl was found 1.5m underground in Tauranga in the 1890’s on a slope of Maungatawa. Yes, 1.5m underground in fern country. Discovered when someone was digging a post hole. Why that far down? It wasn’t buried under a tree like Maori often did with something they feared or didn’t know… ie the Korotangi. Many odd and non-Maori items have been found buried way down below any 800-100 year old Maori occupation layer.
Source: Tangata Whenua – Raivavae

Ancient village unearthed at Papamoa roundabout

Pāpāmoa (c. 1460-1700)

NZ History, Pāpāmoa