Ruapekapeka Pa
Ruapepkapeka - “The Bats’ Nest” - literally: “rua”: nest; “pekapeka”: the native bat. Thousands of bats lived in hollow trees in this area in the distant past - the name was given by the early Maori explorer Ihenga. Located on Ruapekapeka Road, off State Highway 1, approx. halfway between Akerama and Kawakawa. There is a carpark with toilets. Allow at least an hour to walk around the site which is dotted with informative notice boards. When I visited, the grass on the site was quite short - which meant that the remains of the earthworks were obvious. The notice board at the car park provides an introduction: “Explore Ruapepkapeka Pa, the site of the final battle of the New Zealand wars in the North. The conflict was fought between British colonial forces and northern Maori in 1845-1846 over different interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi. The innovative design of the pa was very effective as a defence against the British muskets and heavy artillery. You can still see the ditch a