Otatara Pa - Visit
Contents
Otatara Pa
| SITE TO VISIT | |
|---|---|
| Otatara | |
| Hikurangi (applied to the lower pa, Otatara more properly to the upper one) | |
| |
| |
| Ethnicity: | Maori |
| Site type: | Pa |
| Where: | In a reserve southwest of Taradale. There is a signposted carpark of Springfield Rd |
| How to get there: | Napier Buses |
| How Long to allow: | 2 hrs walking over the site. Reasonable fitness needed |
| Disclaimer | |
Location:
<googlemap lat="-39.548596" lon="176.829672" zoom="14"> -39.492844, 176.912018, Napier, New Zealand -39.548133, 176.828556, Otatara Pa </googlemap>
What:
Prehistoric Maori fortification reputedly the largest in New Zealand. There are clear defences, much terracing and kumara storage pits. There is some on-site interpretation, and a representation of former palisading built on a quarry damaged part of the site. Some of the site is beyond the reserve and this area should not be visited without permission.
What else to do there:
Great views over the plain to Napier, Hastings and beyond to Hawkes Bay. Museum in Napier. Wineries in the district.
Web Info:
City of Napier page about the site
Historical Significance Assessment (pdf)
Published Information:
K. Jones and A.Walton. An interpretation of the settlement and defences of the Otatara-Hikurangi pa complex, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Archaeology, 27 (2006): 63-93.
Photosynth Views:
