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Turitea Pā

Picture shows a two-story lookout platform sitting next to the river and bush.

Turitea Pā is one of our city’s most culturally significant sites.

In 2022, we built a two story cantilevered lookout platform at the pā site – a short walk along He Ara Kotahi pathway towards Linton.

A pā refers to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but it’s often related to hill forts or fortified posts with palisades and defensive terraces. In Māori culture, a great pā represented the mana (prestige or power) and strategic ability of an iwi (tribe). Māori built pā in various defensive locations around their rohe (territory) to protect fertile crops and food supplies.

Turitea Pā formed part of a wider settlement known as Te Kuripaka, which included Te Motu o Poutoa (Anzac Park) to the east, and Marae-Tarata (Awapuni) to the west.

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Turitea Pā walkway map — Manawatū River Park

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A tall viewing platform once stood on this same site called Te Pūhara o Turitea (the sentry watchtower of Turitea). The lookout gave Rangitāne people an unobstructed 360-degree view of anyone coming up or down the river.

The pūhara (watchtower) was between nine and fifteen metres tall and formed part of a network of other pūhara strategically placed along the Manawatū River and at various inland locations.

Its purpose was to provide early warning to the tribe to prevent the passage of unauthorised people along the river. Rangitāne chose this site because of its natural geographical features and its offensive and defensive capabilities. The pūhara was last used between the late 1700s to early 1800s, during the time of the amio-whenua (roundabout-the-land) and became one of several host points for other friendly tribes seeking shelter and refuge.

Te Kuripaka dates to the fifteenth century, and the Turitea Pā was used as recently as the 1850s. Unfortunately, no remnants of the old pā or pūhara remain today.

How to access

You can access Turitea Pā by crossing He Ara Kotahi Bridge, via Ruha Street, Fitzherbert Avenue, Dairy Farm Road or Bells Road.

The pā is about 2km along the track towards Linton, a short walk past the Urban Eels platform.

Can I take my dog?

Yes, dogs are allowed on He Ara Kotahi, but they must be on a leash.

Māori translation: Turitea Pā

E tū ana koe i te wāhi i tū ai te pā o Turitea i ngā rā o mua.

He kupu whānui te ‘pā’, e hāngai ana ki ngā momo kāinga Māori maha, engari he putuputu te whakamahi hei tohu i te apaapatū me te pā tūwatawata e whai maioro parahau ana. I te ahurea Māori ko tā te pā whakahirahira, he tohu i te mana me te raukaha o te iwi. Ka whakatūria he pā ki ngā wāhi parahau puta noa i tō rātou rohe, koia hei whakahaumaru i ā rātou mahinga kai me ngā whakaratonga kai.

Ko te pā o Turitea tētahi wāhi i roto i te nōhanga korahi o te rohe nei, ko Te Kuripaka te ingoa, tae rā anō hoki ki Te Motu o Poutoa ki te rāwhiti me Marae-Tarata ki te uru.

He pūhara teitei i tū ki tēnei wāhi i ōna anō wā, ko Te Pūhara o Turitea te ingoa. He tirohanga mahea huri amio, e kitea ai e te iwi o Rangitāne ngā tira haere i runga i tō rātou awa.

Kei waenga i te iwa me te 15 mita te teitei o te pūhara, ā, koia tētahi o roto i te pūnaha pūhara i āta whakatūria i te roanga atu o te awa o Manawatū me ētahi wāhi i tuawhenua hoki.

Ko tōna kaupapa, he whakaohiti i te iwi, he taupare i te hunga e haere manakore ana i te awa. Ka tohua e Rangitāne tēnei wāhi i runga i ōna āhuatanga matawhenua māori, āhuatanga rautaki hoki mō te kōkiri me te parahau. Ko ngā tau tōmuri o te 1700 me ngā tau tōmua o te 1800 te wā whakamutunga i whakamahia ai tēnei pūhara, arā, i te wā o te amio-whenua, ā, ka riro ko tēnei tētahi o ngā wāhi manaaki i ngā iwi whakahoahoa ki a Rangitāne, i ngā iwi e kimi punanga ana.

Ko Te Upokoiri tētahi o ngā iwi e kimi punanga ana i ngā riri pakanga. He iwi nō Heretaunga, ka mōhiotia hoki ko Paneiri.

Ko Te Wanikau rāua ko Paturoa ngā rangatira tuahangata o Ngāti Upokoiri. Ka tae tuatahi mai ki tētahi pā, ko Te Oritau te ingoa, ki raro iho o konei, ki reira pōhiritia ai e Rangitāne, ā, ka tukuna he wāhi noho mō rātou. Ka noho mārire a Upokoiri ki konei me ētahi atu kāinga noho i te taha o te awa.

Nō te rautau tekau mā rima te nōhanga nei a Te Kuripaka, ā, ko ngā tau o te 1850 te wā whakamutunga i nōhia ai Te Pā o Turitea. Ko te mea whakarapa, karekau he mōmōhanga o te pā tawhito nei, o te pūhara rānei.