Ngā Ara Tipuna is a multi award-winner at the 2022 Best Designs, Supreme winner at the 2022 Hawke's Bay Heritage Awards, and Outstanding Project at the 2023 Recreation Aotearoa Awards.
Pukekaihau Pā
In Waipukurau, experience the site of Pukekaihau Pā, once a thriving Māori settlement. From the 1600s, many important tīpuna (ancestors) lived in this impressive hilltop pā tūwatawata (fortified settlement).
Beautiful carvings and other artwork let you glimpse what life was like for the tīpuna who lived here, and provide insights on the importance of the surroundings waterways and forests during those times.
Driving Tour
Take the Ngā Ara Tipuna dricing tour to discover seven more sites of cultural and natural significance around Waipukurau and Takapau. On the tour you'll travel along the braided Tukituki River and see Lake Whatumā: once this area's most prized natural resource. You'll stand atop the Pukeora limestone cliffs. You'll visist several pā sites, and places of early interaction between Māori and Europeans.