Te Pāpaka & Puketapu

On the clifftops behind the town are a pair of ancient Ngāti Awa pā (fortified village) sites – Te Pāpaka (The Crab) and Puketapu (Sacred Hill) – both of which offer good outlooks over Whakatāne. Puketapu has the better view over the town centre and river mouth. Both tracks start from a small car park at the lower end of Seaview Rd – Puketapu (two-minute walk) heads straight up the hill; Pāpaka (five minutes) begins immediately across Hillcrest Rd.