Ruapekapeka Road
The first major clash of arms between Maori and Pakeha occurred in the 1840s. The War in the North had its origins in the discontent of Hone Heke, Kawiti and other Maori leaders with the advance of European settlement in the Bay of Islands. Flagstaff Hill, Russell, is where Hone Heke famously cut down the pole from which the British flag was flying. Ruapekapeka, the site of the last major engagement in the war, is an evocative site in hill country south of the Bay. Lines of fortifications are still visible and an old cannon stands on the site of the pa. Ruapekapeka pa was a new kind of fortification, one designed to counter bombardment. It had underground bunkers, communication tunnels and rifle pits. Its design is attributed to a non-European 'Pakeha-Maori', Tapara an Indian, Kawiti was the principal chief of the group occupying the pa.
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Last Battle of the Northern Wars
Last Battle of the Northern Wars
