This is some of the Maori History that I have discovered around the place....Rarowhara Pa is the most important of a series of coastal hill forts located on the approaches to and around the Whangaparaoa Peninsula some 50 kilometres north of Auckland City. The waters of the Mahurangi to the north of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula were rich fishing grounds and this fact together with the peninsulas location on the north to south canoe route between Northland and the rest of the North Island made it of strategic importance. In pre European times inter-tribal rivalry led to fighting for fishing rights in this area, whilst utu (revenge) raids and land conquest invasions were common too. Kahu, a descendent of one of the Kawerau tribal leaders settled in the Whangaparaoa area and his sub tribe became known as the Ngati Kahu with their base at the Rarowhara Pa whilst their enemies the Ngati Paoa held pas on the nearby Tiritirimatangi Island (now a wildlife sanctuary) which secured their rights to fish in the area. An utu (revenge raid) was made by the Ngati Paoa tribe on the Ngati Kahu following earlier perceived slights and a major battle was fought on the beach at Arkles Bay below Rarowhara Pa. A secret track down the cliff face gave the locals the strategic advantage allowing them to decisively beat the Ngati Paoa and so live in security for the next 20 years. However, in 1821 another utu raid, this time by the powerful Nga Puhi tribe from Northland now armed with muskets obtained by their leader Hongi Hika from traders in Sydney saw a seige of Rarowhara Pa and its capture with the slaughter of its inhabitants. A few Ngati Kahu escaped and fled south eastwards but after the Nga Puhi attacks the region was almost totally deserted of human habitation until a few Ngati Kahu returned decades later. The Pa is located in Mollyhawk Reserve on the south facing cliff face accessed from Mollyhawk Rise, a residential street with a grass accessway to the pa. The pa has extensive views south towards todays Auckland city from which direction hostile canoes would approach. It also guards the entrance to the Weiti River which provided access to the hinterland. The steep earthen wall of the pa would have made a fine defensive feature. The secret track to the cliff base is located towards the eastern end of the main defensive earthworks. All along the ridge of the cliff top there were habitation sites with middens and terraces, now a modern residential area.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 10:11:23 +0000
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