Summerhill Recreational Farm not only provides a variety of trails for hikers and bikers, and breathtaking views of the Bay of Plenty, it offers a powerful history lesson.
The farm's well-preserved pa - ancient fortified sites built by the Maori for defence - give a glimpse of a culture difficult to grasp in the classroom, and Summerhill manager Karl Young serves as a keen instructor.
The Maori are the Polynesian people who first settled New Zealand. Scholars still debate when the first Polynesian migration occurred, but it was certainly before 1300 AD. The first European to arrive in New Zealand - Dutch explorer Abel Tasman - did not turn up until 1642, and Captain James Cook sparked the interest of the British empire with his first visit in 1769. By 1840, Queen Victoria had annexed New Zealand by royal proclamation, and the wholesale seizure of Maori land - accompanied by an alarming decline in the Maori population - began.
As the pa at Summerhill show, however, the Maori did not go down without a fight. The fortifications were built at the highest points of the ridge overlooking the sea, providing a commanding view of any potential enemy. The Summerhill pa are part of the Papamoa Pa Complex, 11 separate pa locations that add up to one of the largest related archaeological sites in New Zealand.
Such fortifications gave the Maori a tremendous strategic advantage over their enemies. But traditional Maori weapons, fashioned from wood and stone, were no match for British guns. The result was devastating for the Maori and their culture.
In 1840, there were an estimated 100,000 Maori in New Zealand and only 2,000 Europeans. By the end of the 19th century, just over 42,000 Maori remained, while the European population had soared to 700,000. The Maori recovered, however, and eventually won back the respect they had lost during colonisation.
