Mapoutahi facts for kids

Te Mapoutahi, also known as Goat Island, is a beautiful peninsula in New Zealand.

Te Mapoutahi, or just Mapoutahi, is a special piece of land in Otago, New Zealand. It's a peninsula, which means it's land almost surrounded by water. You can find it on the coast between the towns of Waitati and Pūrākaunui, not far from Dunedin City. It's about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Dunedin's city center.

Sometimes, people also call this place "Goat Island," which can be a bit confusing! Because of its narrow strip of land connecting it to the mainland and its rough coastline, Mapoutahi was a perfect spot for a pā. A pā was a strong, fortified village built by Māori people.

For about a hundred years before Europeans arrived in the early 1800s, the Kāti Māmoe people lived in a pā here. Mapoutahi was once the site of a big event around 1750. A warrior named Taoka attacked the pā, and many people were killed. Today, Te Mapoutahi is a beautiful place to visit. It's a scenic and historic reserve with a popular walking track.

The Story of Mapoutahi Pā

This section tells the story of an important event that happened at Mapoutahi Pā. It involves a warrior named Taoka and the Kāti Māmoe people.

A Visit and a Fight

Chief Taoka lived in a small settlement called a kaika near what is now Timaru. He decided to visit his nephew, Te Wera, who was also a Kāti Māmoe chief. Te Wera's pā was called Huriawa, located near the mouth of the Waikouaiti River.

After their visit, Taoka and Te Wera traveled to see another relative named Kapo. While they were staying with Kapo, a big argument started between Taoka and Te Wera. The argument quickly turned into a fight, and sadly, Te Wera killed Taoka's son during the conflict.

The Attack on Mapoutahi

After his son's death, Taoka returned to his home settlement. He gathered a large group of warriors for a war party. They went to Huriawa and tried to take Te Wera's pā. They surrounded it for a whole year, but they couldn't capture it.

Since he couldn't defeat Te Wera at Huriawa, Taoka decided to move his war party south. He planned to attack Te Wera's main ally, a chief named Pakihaukea, at Mapoutahi Pā. Pakihaukea's guards were not expecting an attack.

In the middle of the night, Taoka and his warriors climbed over the strong fences of the pā. They attacked the people inside, and about 250 people were killed. This event was a significant moment in the history of Mapoutahi Pā.