Waikato Pilgrimages 2 May 2025

This pilgrimage was the second in a series of pilgrimages into the Waikato planned in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Each of the series will seek to help people bear witness to some of the events around the New Zealand Land Wars in the Waikato.

The next one is planned for Saturday 18th October 2025 and will be led by Archbishop David Moxon and Mana Whenua and will tell the story of Wiremu Tamehana, The Peacemaker.

From Drury to crossing the Mangatāwhiri River

We met at the Paymaster’s House, a former militia pay depot in Drury and car pooled to the foot of Mount William.

Our walk on the Te Araroa trail took us over Mt. William, and down into the Waikato.. We spent lunch time in Pōkeno domain/Tennis Club/community hub and heard about the Pōkeno marae planned for that place.

We then walked into the dairy farming paddocks, again on the Te Araroa trail and crossed the Mangatāwhiri River, as the imperial troops did under General Cameron knowing that this crossing in 1863 provoked the beginning of the New Zealand Land Wars.

We heard stories en route from mana whenua ( Tainui ) and others about their ancestors’ lives in the Waikato at that time.

The end of the journey - with Mount William in the backgound.

We finished the pilgrimage.outside the Paymasters cottage with time to tell some more stories before leaving the Waikato.