Pine forest to be harvested across historic Waitotara Pa

Preparing for a walk across what remains of Tarata Pā are (from left) Daniel McCurdy, Jason Ashworth, Scott Wirihana, Potonga Neilson, Ripeka Waitokia and Matt Lowrie. Photo / Bevan Conley

Trees planted across an extensive ridgeline pā in the Waitotara Valley must be felled to avoid further damage to it, but the site will now be protected into the future.

Loggers in Jason Ashworth's Forest Services and Training business were well into felling 160ha of pine forest about 12km inland from Waitotara Village last year. However, in May, Ngaa Rauru kaumātua Potonga Neilson saw the work being done and contacted Heritage New Zealand (HNZ) about damage to the former Tarata Pā.

Under the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, it is unlawful for any person to modify or destroy, or cause to be modified or destroyed, the whole or any part of an archaeological site without the prior authority of HNZ.

Forestry is not permitted across sites with important pre-1900 remains and HNZ asked Whanganui archaeologist Michael Taylor to investigate. Taylor found the extensive ridgeline pā had been damaged by roading, powerlines and forestry across it.

This year Ashworth's team is closing in on the last piece of the forested pā. Ashworth wasn't managing the forest when it was planted in the early 1990s but noticed unusual humps and hollows during the harvest.

"It didn't look like the natural lay of the land."

He contacted New Plymouth-based heritage management consultancy Geometria, and archaeologist Daniel McCurdy will now map the extent of the pā - which will not be replanted in pines.

The trees across it now will have to be felled.

Pine trees planted across the ridgeline pā will have to be carefully felled. Photo / Supplied

"It wouldn't be good to leave them," Ashworth said.

"Trees only get bigger and older and then they blow over and do more damage. They really shouldn't have been planted."

His team will find ways to fell them and pull them away from the pā.

"It's not hard, but it's not easy either, but it's best it does get done."

He contacted Ngaa Rauru, and on Monday, June 29, two of its Ngāti Pourua hapū, Takirau Marae chairman Scott Wirihana and deputy chairman Matt Lowrie, arrived to walk the pā with Ashworth and the archaeologist.

They commended Ashworth for being proactive and said they would now either fence the site or let it regrow with mānuka. The mapping and land-use change would ensure future landowners knew it was a significant site.

"We want to protect what's left and make sure this doesn't happen again," Wirihana said.

Neilson, who started the investigation, will leave any action to them.

The land is owned by Kerry Melody, who lives in Palmerston North, and Ashworth has been managing its 160ha of production pine forest since 2016.

Ashworth said the pā site should have been mapped.

"Apparently it's known, but it's not on any of the mapping, which is a little worrying."

It is in the New Zealand Archaeological Association records, McCurdy said, but was not mapped because the iwi did not want to alert "grave robbers" to its presence.

The site had already been "quite well dug over and gone through", Ashworth said.

It was the subject of excavations in 1960-62 by archaeologist Colin Smart. The excavators found house and kumara pit sites and 37 artefacts, including adzes.

Photos from the time show kumara pits dug horizontally into the hillside with decorative entrances, McCurdy said. There was an eel weir in the river and four canoes below the pā.

McCurdy will record the remaining features for the owner and his report will go to HNZ. He said further digging is unlikely. Archaeologists now tend to leave such sites unexcavated.

There are many similar sites in the Waitotara Valley, but few are marked on council plans. Ashworth has worked in other places where archaeological sites are clearly mapped and planting only reaches their boundaries.

Most bushmen are respectful of such places, he said.