Tauwhare Pā Scenic Reserve
Interpretation panels from Tauwhare Pa:
E noho ana anō ahau ki te koko ki Ōhiwa,
Whakarongo rua aku taringa ki te tai ō tua rā ō Kanewa
E aki mai ana ki uta rā ki te whānau ā Tairongo
Kei Tauwhare, ko te kōpua ō te ururoa
Ko te kai rā i rari noa mai te rawaweketia e te ringaringa
As I reside in the Bay of Ōhiwa
I hear the call of the tide at Kanewa
Urging me to join the clan of Tairongo
At Tauwhare is the dwelling place of shark
The abundant food that has been disturbed by the hand of man
View from Tauwhare Pā overlooking
Ohiwa Harbour
Tauwhare is one of the oldest pā in the area. It was built by Te Hapuoneone, an ancient tribe from which many of today's iwi descend. The name Tauwhare implies 'the village suspended in space'. When viewed from the bottom of the southern end of the pā, the village gives this impression.
Tauwhare is located close to Ohiwa, the open coast and the forest. Its proximity to abundant food resources made it an extremely valuable site.