THE HAKAKINO Pa
The Hakakino pā, on a hilltop beside the Wainuioru opposite the mouth of the Upokongaruru, was occupied by the mainly Kahungunu hapū Ngāti Hikarahui into the early 19th century. Its almost flat tabletop, about 80 metres square, was more than 60 metres above the river. As natural defences it had cliffs on three sides and a steep slope on the fourth, where a long trench was dug a metre from the edge.
A 1958 article in the Journal of Polynesian Studies said: "The position of Hakikino... would have made it almost impregnable...
"From the pa site, a clear view is obtained southwards as far as the Hikurangi Taipo's, overlooking the meandering course of the Wainuioru River as it flows to the south-east. Directly below the sheer cliff of the pa... is a large flat area of about six acres... This block of land could be presumed to be a cultivation ground for kumara planting as the soil type is Atua silt loam derived from mudstone with a medium natural fertility."
The pā is also thought to have been a stopping-off place for people travelling to and from the more heavily populated coast and main Wairarapa valley.
But peace was broken in 1821-22 when a Ngāti Whātua and Ngāti Maniapoto war party or taua muru entered the Wairarapa, killing many people as they came south.
The taua had muskets, but when they reached Hakakino they realised an attack would be costly. Feigning friendship, they lured the principal chief, Te Hopu, and some of his people to their camp and killed them.
Of the weakened defenders in the pā, some escaped but many were massacred.
The pā is said never to have been inhabited again.
There was one happy outcome, remembered in the story of the young man Tupurupuru and his beloved, Konini. Both lived to the west of the Maungaraki Range, but when Tu went to visit Konini one day he found she'd gone to Hakakino. Hearing of the taua's movements, he anxiously travelled over the hills and arrived after the invaders' attack and departure, to be told that a young woman who'd fled down the hillside was last seen in the Wainuioru River.
Frantic but in hope, Tupurupuru followed the current south until he found Konini in a bad way lying beneath a totara tree. She was almost dead but Tu carried her to a safe place where she could be nursed while her strength slowly grew.
Eventually Tupurupuru took Konini back to her parent’s home. After hearing their story and realising the devotion Tu had shown for Konini, the couple received her family's blessing to be together for ever.
Sources and further reading
Cairns, K R, 'Hakikino Hill pa', in The Journal of the Polynesian Society, Volume 67, 1958, No. 4, p 330-334, @ http://www.jstor.org/stable/20703689
Smith, S Percy, Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century, Whitcombe and Tombs, 1910, @ http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-SmiMaor-t1-body-d34.html.
For the full story of Tupurupuru and Konini, see http://rangitaneeducation.com/tupurupuru-and-konini/
