Ruapekapeka, site of Kawiti’s pā - Roadside Stories

Check out the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's audio guide to Ruapekapeka in the Video tab.

During the Northern War of the mid-1840s Ngāpuhi leader Te Ruki Kawiti built a complex defensive pā at Ruapekapeka, with underground shelters protected by fortifications. After a two-week bombardment by British troops, Kawiti and his men abandoned the pā in December 1845. Its remains can still be seen today.

Related web links:
The Northern War
Ruapekapeka pā
The Waiōmio valley
Te Ruki Kawiti
Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai
George Grey

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Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides that follow major road trips in New Zealand. The stories cover the places you’ll pass along the way - their people, their history, their cultural and natural significance. For more information about Roadside Stories visit http://www.mch.govt.nz/roadside/