Papamoa Hills Regional Park is a protected area in the Bay of Plenty Region, owned and managed by Bay of Plenty Regional Council.[1] It is located between Papamoa and Te Puke, on Poplar Lane off State Highway 2.[2]
It covers 135 hectares of native bush and open farmland.[3] The landscape consists of steep hills,[3] reaching to a summit of 224 metres with sweeping views of the Bay of Plenty coastline from the Coromandel Peninsula to East Cape.[1][4]
The area is a traditional home for where Papamoa’s original Māori inhabitants,[2] including Waitaha, Ngā Pōtiki, Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti He.[5][6] Its traditional Māori name is Te Rae o Pāpāmoa, translating roughly as "the forehead of the woman who is the hills".[7]
Features
The park is an operational farm several gates, located behind a Fulton Hogan quarry with regular truck traffic.[7][1]
There are several walking tracks, all requiring a reasonable level of fitness.[2] These include a 45-minute track from Poplar Lane to the trig station at the summit.[1]
Camping, motorbikes, mountain bikes, horse trekking and fires are banned, and dogs are banned at all times. There is no drinking water supply available in the park.[1] The park and carpark is open during daylight hours, with later closing times during winter.[3]
History
There are over 2000 archaeological and cultural sites within the park, dating back to 1650, including Te Ihu o Ruarangi Pā and six other pā.[7][2][3][1]
The park was established in 2003 to protect these sites,[2] becoming the first regional park outside the Auckland and Wellington regions.[7] Over 50,000 native plants have been planted on the trees since then.[2]
Visitor numbers quadrupled between 2006 and 2016, when about 80,000 people were visiting the park every year.[7]
An additional 25 hectares were added to the park in 2017.[8]
In September 2020, the summit track was briefly closed for an upgrade.[9]
In December 2020, Bay of Plenty Regional Council approved a concept design for a more substantial upgrade in December 2020, including a new carpark, new amenities, a new entranceway, and signage to explain the site's history and cultural importance. Work was due to start in late 2021.[5] Local iwi and hapū were consulted on and supported the plan.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Pāpāmoa Hills Regional Park". boprc.govt.nz. Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
- ^ a b c d e f "Pāpāmoa Hills". bayofplentynz.com. Bay of Plenty NZ.
- ^ a b c d "Papamoa Hills Regional Park". westernbay.govt.nz. Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
- ^ Troughton, Jamie (20 April 2021). "What to do in Mount Maunganui in autumn and winter". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
- ^ a b "Multi-million dollar Papamoa Hills design approved". Sun Media. SunLive. 16 December 2020.
- ^ a b Ogden, Gavin (7 April 2021). "Local Focus: Pāpāmoa Hills upgrade on track". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Local Focus.
- ^ a b c d e Dawson-Hewes, Rosie (7 April 2016). "History of the hills". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times.
- ^ "Papamoa Hills park grows by 25ha". Sun Media. SunLive. 2 March 2017.
- ^ "Papamoa Hills temporary closure". Sun Media. SunLive. 7 September 2020.