Historic Te Teoteo's Pa
The Waikato Campaign
The Waikato Campaign of 1863-64 was one of the major campaigns of the New Zealand Wars. Over 12,000 British and Colonial troops invaded the Waikato, where King Tāwhiao and his supporters were centred.
Te Teoteo's Pa
Te Teoteo's Pa was built in a hurry by Te Huirama on the site of an old pa to repel the advance of British troops from Queens Redoubt. After several skirmishes resulting in the death of 30 Maori warriors, Te Huirama's men retreated south. British forces occupied the abandoned pa and built the nearby Whangamarino Redoubt from where they bombarded the Maori position at Meremere.
View of the Waikato River from the pa
site (State Highway 1 in foreground)
The pa, situated on the end of a ridge overlooking the Waikato River, affords magnificent views. To the south behind the former Meremere power station you can see Meremere Redoubt, and visualise the opposing forces readying for battle.
While the features of the pa are now hard to distinguish, it and the neighbouring redoubt are significant sites associated with the Waikato Campaign, and are regularly visited by those interested in the New Zealand Wars. The site is maintained in grass to stabilise the earthworks and allow visitors to gain some appreciation of how the defences worked.
Getting there
The site is located between Auckland and Hamilton, off State Highway 1. Turn off at Oram Road about 5km north of Meremere. Cross the railway line and proceed 100 metres to the carpark. From here there is a circuit walk to the pa and the redoubt.
Further reading
For more historical and access information on sites from the Waikato Campaign download a copy of The Waikato War of 1863-64: a guide to the main events and sites.