ExploreTūhuratia Ngā Roto

Explore the Ngā Roto lakeshores and the site of this country’s largest intertribal battle.

Tūhuratia te taharoto o Ngā Roto, me te wāhi o te pakanga nui rawa atu o te motu, i waenganui i ngā iwi.

Overview

Tirohanga whānui

4 stopsE 4 ngā tūnga2 hours1-2 haora

Lake Ngā Roto is a 10 minute drive from Te Awamutu or Pirongia. The lake has great cultural and conservation significance. In the past there was a second lake alongside Lake Ngā Roto. The wetlands and the forests that once grew around them provided homes to the tūpuna (Māori ancestors), as well as many native species. Journey with us around the lakeshore and view the site of the Battle of Hingakākā – which involved numerous warriors drawn from many tribes across the North Island.

10 meneti te taraiwa ki Ngā Roto i Te Awamutu, i Pirongia rānei. He roto whai tikanga ā-ahurea, ā-taiao hoki a Ngā Roto. I ngā wā o mua, tērā tētehi roto tuarua i te taha tonu o Ngā Roto. I whai kāinga ngā tūpuna Māori i ngā repo, me ngā ngahere i tupu mai i ōna tahatika, i pēnei anō ngā momo māori huhua. Haere mai kia huri i te taharoto ki te mātakitaki i te marae o te riri o Hingakākā, i pakanga ai ngā toa e whia kē nei nō ngā maha puta noa i Te Ika a Māui.

Get driving directionsTīkina ngā tohutohu mō te taraiwa Take the mobile tourMahia atu te tāpoi ā-waea

Ngā Roto Carpark – Overview StopTe Tūnga Waka o Ngā Roto – Te Wāhi Tirohanga Whānui

Orientate yourself to this area and learn why it is significant.

Whakamōhio i a koe ki te takiwā nei, me te ako, he aha i hirahira ai.

Taurangamirumiru PāTaurangamirumiru Pā

View the site of Taurangamirumiru Pā (Māori settlement) and learn about the fascinating lives of tūpuna (Māori ancestors) who lived here.

Tirohia te wāhi o Taurangamirumiru pā (kāinga Māori), ā, ka ako i ngā kōrero mō te ao o ngā tūpuna i noho ai ki reira.

Ecology & RestorationTe Hauropi me te Whakahaumanu

Learn about species of flora and fauna native to these wetlands, then hear about the current lake restoration project.

Ākona ngā momo tupu me ngā momo kīrehe taketake nei ki ēnei whenua kūwai, kātahi ka rongo mō te kaupapa whakahaumanu roto nei.

Battle of HingakākāTe Pakanga o Hingakākā

Look towards the site of the largest intertribal battle ever fought in this country, which occurred around the late 1700s.

Mātaia iho te wāhi o te pakanga nui rawa atu o tēnei whenua, i waenganui i ngā iwi, i tū ai i ngā tau whakamutunga o te 1700.

A Valued ResourceHe Rawa Uara Nui

Discover how the wetlands inspired tūpuna (Māori ancestors) to create unique architecture – and safeguarded taonga (artefacts and treasures). Later, this area became valuable farmlands for Europeans.

Tūhuratia, e mōhiotia ai, he aha i whakahihiri ai ngā whenua kūwai i ngā tūpuna ki te hanga hoahoanga ōritenga kore, taonga hoki. Nō muri rā ka huri aua whenua kūwai hei whenua pai mō te mahi pāmu.

Sample Story

He tīpakonga kōrero

Reipae and Reitu

Uenuku

Hundreds of years ago the high born and beautiful sisters Reipae and Reitu lived at Taurangamirumiru Pā, near the shores of Ngā Roto.

One day Ueoneone, a chief from Pawarenga, in the north, visited Taurangamirumiru. He played his putorino (traditional flute) for Reipae and Reitu. Both sisters fell in love with him.

After Ueoneone returned home, he sent a kārearea (sparrowhawk) to Taurangamirumiru Pā. The sisters decided to travel north to Ueoneone. They were reduced in size and flew on the back of the kārearea. At Te Tauwhanga a Reipae (Whanga-a-Rei), Reipae decided to get off. She eventually married there. Reitu flew on to Pawarenga and was married to Ueoneone. The two sisters are a significant link between these two regions, the peoples of Tainui and Tokerau.

Ko Uenuku tētehi taonga whakairo, nui whakaharahara, i takoto ai i te roto, kō atu nei i te kotahi rau tau. E tūhono ana a Uenuku ki ngā tūpuna o Tainui.

I haria mai nei a Uenuku e te waka o Tainui i Hawaiki ki tēnei rohe, i ngā tau o te 1200.

I te rangi tonu o mua mai i te pakanga o Hingakākā, i tōna 1790 – 1807, i karakia ngā iwi o Ngā Roto ki a Uenuku, kia tiakina rātou, i te whakaeketanga o ō rātou whenua e Pīkauterangi me tāna taua nui. Ko tā Uenuku urupare, me whakatakoto ia ki roto i te roto. E ai ki te kōrero, nā te ariki, nā Te Rauangaanga ia i whakatakoto ki roto i te wai. Ko te mana o Uenuku ki runga, inā hoki i toa a Te Rauangaanga rātou ko tana iwi.

I te tau 1906, i kitea anō a Uenuku i te roto. He nui tonu tana mana ki ngā iwi o Tainui i ēnei rā nei.

Take the mobile tourMahia atu te tāpoi ā-waea

Presented ByNā
Chuck DavisShane Te Ruki

Graphic Novel

He pūrākau whai whakaahua

Battle of Hingakākā

Te Pakanga o Hingakākā

The story of a significant battle involving many tribes, which broke out when a war party of up to 10,000 warriors attacked Ngā Roto inhabitants around the late 1700s.

Te kōrero o tētehi o ngā tino pakanga i whai wāhi ai ngā iwi mātinitini, i ara ake ai i te whakaekehanga a tētehi whakaariki 10,000 nei ngā toa, i ngā iwi o Ngā Roto, i ngā tau whakamutunga o ngā 1700.

Travel Information

He mōhiohio ā-kaihora

For best experience of the mobile tour, pack some earphones so you can easily hear the video stories while out and about at Lake Ngāroto.

Kia riro pai i ngā hua o te haerenga nei mā runga waea, kawea mai ētehi purutaringa kia rangona pai ai ngā kiriata whakamārama.

Getting There

Hei huarahi ki reira

If you’re travelling from Hamilton, allow 30 minutes to get to Lake Ngā Roto, which is located in rural area near Te Awamutu. If you’re coming from Te Awamutu or Pirongia it’s a 10 minute drive. There’s plenty of parking at the lake.

Mehemea e haramai ana i Kirikiriroa, whakawāteahia ngā meneti 30 kia tae ki Ngā Roto, kei te takiwā taiwhenua e tata ana ki Te Awamutu. Mehemea e haramai ana i Te Awamutu, i Pirongia rānei, he 10 meneti te taraiwa. He rahi ngā tūnga waka ki te roto.

The Track

Te ara

Lake Ngā Roto is a popular and family-friendly area for walkers, cyclists and bird watchers. Suitable for pushchairs, the 6km loop track is a flat, easy walk across boardwalks, dirt and forest paths. It takes about an hour at a brisk pace. Keep an eye out for flourishing wildlife and native birds, thanks to pest control work by local community groups. If you’re on a bike, please travel anticlockwise (from the south end of the lake). You’re welcome to bring your dog, but keep it on its lead while walking around the track. There’s a doggy doo bin at the grassy off-lead area near the sailing club building.

E paingia ana a Ngā Roto, he wāhi e rata ana ki ngā whānau, ki te hunga haere mā raro, ki a ngāi pahikara mā, me te hunga mātakitaki manu. He pai mō ngā waka pēpi, he papatahi te ara hurihuri 6 kiromita nei te roa, māmā nei te whīkoi i ngā arapapa, i ngā ara oneone, ngahere anō hoki. Ko tōna tahi haora ā-whīkoi hīkaka nei. Kia mataara ki te kite i ngā nui o ngā kararehe, me ngā manu māori e tupu kaha nei, nā te mahi whakaheke kīrea a ngā rōpū hapori o te takiwā nei. Mehemea kei runga pahikara koe, me haere whakamuri kē (mai i te pito whakatetonga o te roto). E pai ana kia hari mai koe i tō kurī, engari me here tonu ki tana taura i a koe e whīkoi taiāwhio ana i te ara. He ipu riko kurī ki te wāhi karaehe, herenga kore e tata ana ki te whare o te karapu whakatere poti.

Amenities

Ngā whakaahurutanga

There are public toilets at the car park when you arrive at the lake. Bring your own drinking water, particularly in hot summer months. Lake Ngā Roto is a great place for a picnic, so why not bring a packed lunch or make use of the free BBQ hotplate near the sailing club.

Kei te tūnga waka nōu ka tae ki te roto, ētehi whareiti tūmatawhānui. Haria mai tāu ake inu wai, me mātua pērā i ngā kaupeka o te raumati. He pai a Ngā Roto mō te pikiniki, nō reira, haria mai he tina ā-haere, whakamahia rānei te rorerore kore utu e tata ana ki te karapu whakatere poti.