He Toi Tupu - Education Tour

He Toi Tupu Education Tour

The He Toi Tupu Education Tour is a two hour educational experience created exclusively for early childhood education centres and schools from primary through high school. With a minimum booking requirement of 25 students, the tour provides an engaging way for teachers, leaders, and students to explore one of New Zealand’s most significant Māori earthwork fortifications from the 1860s.

The experience takes students into the history of the Rangiriri invasion, remembered as one of the bloodiest battles during the Crown invasion of Waikato. The program connects with Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories and Te Takanga o te Waa, giving educators an alternative way to engage students with the curriculum. Students can explore how this historical event affected and shaped the present day lives of Waikato and the Kīngitanga.

Students will visit significant historic locations including Te Maataarae ki Rangiriri, an old pā site and military redoubt, along with remnants of the original Rangiriri Pā earthworks. They will also walk through the world’s first Māori replica earthwork trenches built to the original scale. Through local narratives, students will learn about the experiences of the men, women, and children connected to the conflict and the resilience that supported the survival of Waikato and allied tribes.

The experience also introduces students to the stories behind the carved Pou and Tomokanga created by Kīngitanga Master Carvers. Students will have the opportunity to learn and play Ika Ngohi, an exhilarating trench warfare game connected to the first to be slain in battle. As the tour takes place outdoors, students should dress appropriately for the weather, wear comfortable enclosed shoes, stay hydrated, and use sun protection. Flash photography and video recording restrictions apply, and wheelchair accessibility in the trenches is limited.