River lookout worth walking to
Aim is to attract people to help look after the awa
The Turitea Pa¯ lookout along He Ara Kotahi pathway is now open. It offers unobstructed views of the awa and city. The two-storey cantilevered platform is a short walk past the Urban Eels platform.
The lookout glows at night with solar powered lights.
The lower platform is fully accessible, and the upper platform is accessed by a metal staircase.
The lookout is encased with strengthened glass and macrocarpa.
Six carved pouwhenua face those across the Manawatu¯ River at Ahimate Reserve.
The new lookout is a joint project between the city council and Rangita¯ne.
“Our Manawatu¯ River Framework is our plan for creating more things to see and do at our awa each year — and this project is bringing that vision to life,” parks and logistics manager Kathy Dever-Tod says.
“Attracting more people to our river space will ensure they look after our awa and help to restore its mauri alongside Rangita¯ne.”
Chris Whaiapu, from Rangita¯ne, is excited about people reconnecting to the old pa¯ site, and learning more about traditional life for Rangita¯ne pre-1800s.
“The platform, while not as tall as the original, provides enough of an imaginative aspect as to what it was once used for.
“Being able to share our history with everyone is something that I’m proud of.”
Turitea Pa¯ formed part of a wider settlement known as Te Kuripaka, which included Te Motu o Poutoa (Anzac Park) to the east, and Marae-Tarata (Awapuni West) to the west.
A tall wooden viewing platform once stood at the same site called Te Pu¯ hara o Turitea (the sentry watchtower of Turitea).
The lookout was between nine and 15 metres tall and provided Rangita¯ne with an unobstructed 360-degree view of anyone coming up or down the river.
Turitea Pa¯ was used as recently as the 1850s. Unfortunately, no remnants of the old pa or pu¯hara remain today.