Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

at Ōhiwa in the

Bay of Plenty Region The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway ...

of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

, owned and managed by

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Bay of Plenty Regional Council is the administrative body responsible for overseeing regional land use, environmental management and civil defence in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It was founded as part of the 1989 New Z ...

in partnership with the Upokorehe hapū. The park covers 26.8 hectares, with views to Kohi Point in the west across Ohiwa Harbour, and east towards

East Cape East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the Gisborne District of New Zealand's North Island. It can also refer to the broader Gisborne cape. East Cape was originally named "C ...

. The park includes several culturally and archaeologically important sites to Upokorehe, including Onekawa Pā.

Features

Onekawa Pā is the central feature of the park. A 90-minute walking track leads through ancient

puriri ''Vitex lucens'', or pūriri, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. History Pūriri was first collected (by Europeans) at Tolaga Bay by Banks and Solander during Cook's first visit in 1769. The plant was excellently described by Solan ...

and other native bush to the top of the pā, and then through a working farm to Bryans Beach and back to the carpark. A side track leads to a waterfall and glow-worms. Horse trekking, camping, motorbikes, mountain bikes, fires, rubbish and unleashed dogs are banned to protect historic sites in the area. Bryans Beach is also a swimming spot during summer.

History

The Onekawa Pā has a long history of occupation, including by the leaders of Repanga, Kahuki and Tuamutu. The surrounding area has been the site of several battles.

Ringatū The Ringatū church was founded in 1868 by Te Kooti Arikirangi te Turuki, commonly called Te Kooti. The symbol for the movement is an upraised hand or "Ringatū" in Māori. Origins Te Kooti was a wild young man, and in his childhood his father h ...

prophet and warrior Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki settled in the area before his death in 1893.

References

{{Authority control Protected areas of the Bay of Plenty Region Ōpōtiki District

Features

History

See also

References