Te Papaka

Te Papaka pa is rich in Ngāti Awa history. Many important chiefs have lived at the site.

The site is located on the ridge known as Taketake. The Waiewe Stream flows between Te Papaka and another pa site, Puketapu. To the east is a fortified pa site called Hauwai.

The name Te Papaka, or crab, derives from a time when the renowned Ngāti Awa ancestor Awanuiarangi was gathering seafood at nearby Otawaha. His wife Ahiahiotahu remarked that his stance was like that of a crab crawling, so the pa became known as Te Papaka o Awanuiarangi, later shortening it to Te Papaka.

Over the generations, Ngāti Awa chiefs who have lived on the pa site included Ruaihona, Te Ketetuitui, Wairaka, Awaheinui, Tuteiere, Rakaumoana and Awatope.

Another incident of Te Papaka happened while the chief, Te Tangihouhiri, and his travelling party arrived at the pa while scouting around. There he had an unfortunate incident with a young woman and, in retaliation, he assaulted her with his taiaha. This led to a confrontation with Ngāti Awa but, before fighting started, Te Rangihouhiri and his followers fled to Whakapaukorero, near to what is now Matatā.

During the land confiscations of 1866 Ngāti Awa lost this site, and in 1870 the Crown established an armed constabulary fort on the pa site.