Taranaki Wars

Experience the drama surrounding early European settlement in Taranaki.

Download the free Taranaki Wars app and explore the sites and stories of our shared past.

When Māori and Pākehā encountered each other in this region cultural differences meant relationships were continually tested. The war that began in 1860 at Waitara was firstly over land but it was increasingly over whose law was to prevail in the country. It eventually swept over much of the North Island.

Follow these trails and they will guide you through the sites where Pākehā and Māori grappled as each tried to assert their will over the other. The trails on this app will eventually cover the important places and events between 1860 and 1881 which shaped the Taranaki of today. Many of the events still resonate on into the present.

The first trail on this app covers the first phase of the Taranaki Wars; the period from 1860-1861 and covers an area stretching from Waitara to Waireka.
On many of these sites, people - both Maori and Pakeha - fought and died for their beliefs. Please respect their memory when visiting.