Opapaka Pa walk
Track category
Walking track
Time:
20 min one way
Distance:
1 km
Description
The walk takes you up through native forest before crossing a stile onto farmland and then up a steep track to the pa site.
Keep to the fence line and be mindful of stock that may be in the paddock. The farm track may be slippery if wet.
View larger map to print (JPG, 89K)
Opapaka Pa walk corresponds to #1 on the map.
Getting there
Opapaka Pa
Turn right into the Waitomo Adventure Centre car park 7 km from the Waitomo turn-off.
Activities
Historic sites
Historic sites
This walk leads to an ancient pa site.
The pa was occupied by Ngati Hia in the 1700s and was the site of a notable battle between Ngati Hia and a war party led by Tanetinorau. Defence structures (trenches) and kumara pits are evident at the pa site. See Historic Opapaka Pa for more information.
There is a small general store in Waitomo where supplies may be bought. Fill up your vehicle with fuel at Otorohanga, Piopio or Te Kuiti as there are no service stations from Waitomo west.
Plan and prepare
Before you go into the outdoors, tell someone your plans and leave a date to raise the alarm if you haven't returned. To do this, use the New Zealand Outdoors Intentions process on the AdventureSmart website. It is endorsed by New Zealand's search and rescue agencies and provides three simple options to tell someone you trust the details about your trip.