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A visit to New Zealand is not complete without a reflection on Māori history and the impacts of European colonialism. With this in mind, we recommend a visit to Whitianga Rock, the site of an old Māori pa, or fortification. Many hills around New Zealand were once the sites of pas used for defense or living. When Europeans first arrived, many of the pas had already been abandoned due to intertribal warfare. The pa of Whitianga Rock was no exception, although the remnants were still there then as they are today. 

So, what is it like to walk the same steps as Captain James Cook did?¹

Whitianga Rock Hike 

You can either park in the small ferry landing parking lot or take the ferry across from Whitianga town. The entrance is right along the water, about halfway through the parking lot. While Cook had a guide to show him around, you will find a couple of options posted on entry signage.  

We did the simple out and back to the tip of the peninsula (20 minutes round trip, although it took longer since you will want to stop and see the sights). This is what we would recommend unless you’re eager for more views and a longer out-and-back hike. 

WARNING: It is a bit steep and rocky. It could be difficult for kids or those with accessibility challenges. 

After hugging the calm shore for a few minutes, the hike starts uphill. The Māori built huge trenches along the only way up the hill, and you can see the boring holes where beams were placed in the rock.  

The air was fresh as we peaked into a broader open space from the coast below; you continue through into the trees again, where you can find piles of seashells. But how did these shells get up on the hill? They ate seafood and left the shells in huge piles, or middens, now partially covered by earth, overgrowing with moss. 

Eventually you reach the tip, with a great 360 degree view of the little bay area. I’m thankful to have stood there and understood a little more about the history of the Māori and witnessed how they constructed the pa. So, what actually happened here? 

History: Chiefs and Captains 

According to the Department of Conservation signage, this pa was mostly a defensive one that could control access to the river and bay. There were likely residences along the terraces, but it could be well defended given the natural elevation and makeup as well as the ditches and bank defenses that people built. 

Well before Captain James Cook visited, it is likely that Tuuhopetiki, a Tauranga chief, attacked the pa and laid it to ruin. Oral tradition relates that he killed the chief, Koropiritoetoe and married his widow. 

When Cook arrived in 1769 and was shown around the pa, it was already in ruins, with only burnt wooden posts remaining. 

Impact Today and Actions 

Whitianga Rock itself was not a victim of European colonization, as the violence and wars between various Māori tribes is well documented by oral tradition and European writings.  

Despite this, the descendants of Tuuhopetiki and all other Māori were subjected to violence and displacement over the centuries, culminating in the New Zealand Wars (1845 to 1872). In fact, the Māori tribes that fought against the British troops even used pas like Whitianga Rock to defend positions or carry out attacks.² 

As Vox writer Fabiola Cineas explains on a recent reparations initiative for one of the iwi, or tribes:

“…encounters with British settlers in the 19th century threatened to erase the Māori way of life — causing a ripple effect that has left today’s Māori far behind their pākehā, or white European counterparts, in life outcomes. Before widespread European contact, an estimated 100,000 Māori lived across the islands; by the end of the 19th century, after nearly a century of contact with Europeans, only about 40,000 Māori remained, compared with 715,000 pākehā.”³ 

Fabiola Cineas, Vox

New Zealand has taken very tangible steps to try and right some of these incalculable wrongs in recent decades, offering official apologies from the Crown as well as reparative moves to return land and provide forms of financial compensation. 

Action: Become a better ally for Indigenous communities:  

• Figure out whose land you’re visiting or living on 
• Continue to support reconciliation and reparation initiatives like those that New Zealand is pursuing 

And, of course, visit Whitianga Rock to learn more. 

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1. https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/coromandel/places/whitianga-area/whitianga-rock/  ↩︎
2. https://teara.govt.nz/en/new-zealand-wars/page-1 ↩︎
3. https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23518642/new-zealand-reparations-maori-settlements ↩︎