Gate Pa Historic Reserve

Learned something about NZ history and admired some Maori carvings at the entrance, it's a very nice tidy private space like an outdoor museum.

Not enough seats. Information boards have broken glass.

Historic place where a war took place in which hundreds of natives perish due to the colonization of the place. Historical marks with the history are located around to tell the story about it, Carved totems surround the park and 2 carved-death trees are beautiful staying, telling the history of the local people.

Serene and moving place to visit. Good descriptions of the significance. The wooden carvings are powerful.

Really nice little park and a great insight into the history of the NZ wars. Worth while stopping by.

I joined a school trip and listened to the reverend of Gate Pa, a chapel on the Pa site, give a very informative engaging and relevant talk about the history of the local Iwi and the first European missionaries, the musket wars and the British troops the renal of land and how this had lead to the ongoing land disputes.

Quite why this ancient battle site has the ignominious name of Gate Pa Domain on the maps, I don't know. Here lies the site of one of the greatest battle scenes of the 1864 New Zealand Wars and the defeat of supposedly superior British forces. It was the magificent acts of Maori such as Henare Taetari and Heni Te Kiri Karamu who provided safe provision for she passage of British wounded, women and children cared for wounded British troops, obeying the Scriptural injunction 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him.'Beautiful po line the entrance and plaques tell the battle story. The wooded gully at the rear is where unnamed wounded Maori fell and were buried.Lest we forget.

Learnt a lot about the history of an important war fought here between Maori and Pakeha. Driven a hundred times pass this place and never knew how historically significant it was.

No toilets but lovely park to stroll around

A very surreal place, definitely do some research on the battle of gate pa prior to going.