More than 150 years ago, blood was shed in a paddock in Pyes Pā. On Sunday, there were tears.
As the rain halted for what felt like the first time all weekend, people stood silent on the corner of Pyes Pa and Joyce Rd to commemorate the lives lost 156 years ago in the Battle of Te Ranga.
The Battle took place on June 21, 1864 – it was a follow-up to the Battle of Gate Pā.
After a mihi and karakia, historian and Tauranga Moana iwi leader Buddy Mikaere described the fateful day which stole his ancestor's lives.
A large party of Māori moved on to the site to build trenches in the hope of catching the British soldiers off guard.