The Tomahawk

  The old-time Maori used rauparaha leaves and roots to flavour meats - including human flesh. Calystegia soldanella/Rauparaha/pohue/bindweed  The rangatira (chief)Te Rauparaha is believed to have been born in the same year as the last great traditional Maori battle - Hingakaka, near Te Awamutu, 1790 (?) In a skirmish preceding the epic rout Te Rauparaha’s uncle Tiekete was killed and afterwards roasted in an oven lined with rauparaha leaves. At the feast the Waikato victors ate the flesh with pounded rauparaha roots and boasted that they would deal with his newly born nephew in the same manner after the main battle when they caught him. This was an insult of the highest order demanding utu (revenge) - a bloody revenge which need not be commensurate with the scale of the insult. Fortunately, for him, the baby Te Rauparaha escaped the massacre, and was afterwards given his name to commemorate the dreadful event and to instill throughout his entire being the need for him to exact u

“Pokeno” - literally po; night; keno: underworld. May mean “place of refuge” (Reed). This is the first significant site of the Waikato War when heading South from Auckland. Below: The Queen's redoubt at Pokeno (1862-68) BACKGROUND The Pukekohe district (of which Pokeno is part) is an extremely fertile area, ideal for growing crops on rich volcanic soils. In the 1860’s Pokino (later Pokeno) was a thriving Maori village and economic hub. Local Maori were engaged in a lucrative agricultural trade with Auckland as well as overseas. They also owned the local mill which processed flour and maize. Pokino, along with most of the Maori holdings between Auckland and Mercer, became collateral damage in the Waikato War - sacked, pillaged and destroyed after being declared, on a most flimsy pretext, as disloyal to the Crown. Governor George Grey’s invasion plan for the Waikato required an extensive military supply route - the Great South Road was constructed (begun 1 January 1862) ending

In July 2018 I bit the bullet and headed south in the middle of winter to the Waikato. It was too cold to sleep in the HiAce, fortunately I was able to find inexpensive cabin accommodation along the way. The weather was mainly fine, so I was able to visit and photograph at most of the main sites relating to the Waikato War: including Pokeno, Mercer, Rangiriri, Meremere, Rangiwahia, Kikikihi, Pirongia, Orakau, and Ngaruawahia. At present I am still collating the material, so blog posts relating to the Waikato sites will appear online over the coming months. Regimental button on uniform at Rangiriri Museum Rangiriri Museum Te Wheoro's Redoubt at Rangiriri Rewi Maniapoto Memorial at Kihikihi The old church at Rangiaowhia