When you translate the name of this pa, it's easy to feel apprehensive. Turuturu means "stakes" and mokai means "dried heads". Visit during the day (when the gates are open) and the killing fields aura of the site will jangle your nerves.
There are two parts to this site. The first is an awe-inspiring collection of Maori earthworks built in the 17th century by the Ngati Tupea, and subsequently restored in the 1930s. In pre-European times a battle was fought here between the Ngati Tupea and a raiding party of Taki Ruahine. The Taki Ruahine sent a tohunga-te-moko (Maori tattoo artist) to the pa, who offered to tattoo the Ngati Tupea warriors. The pa accepted the offer.
Maori facial and body tattooing is a long and painful operation, and recovery takes several days. With the Ngati Tupea rendered helpless, the Taki Ruahine came and took the pa. They decapitated the Ngati Tupea dead and impaled their severed and smoke-dried heads on stakes. Soon afterwards the pa was declared tapu and vacated. This tapu wasn't removed until 1938.
The other part of this site is the Pakeha redoubt. The British army built a redoubt in the pa during the Waikato war. Today the earthworks of the redoubt are only about a foot deep. A large stone monument tells what happened here during a time known as Titokowaru's War.
Turuturu Mokai is accessed from TuruTuru Rd in Hawera.
Hawera does not have scheduled passenger air services.
The nearest airport is in New Plymouth (61 minutes)
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