Turitea Pā formed part of a wider settlement known as “Te Kuripaka”, which included Te Motu o Poutoa to the east, and Marae-Tarata to the west. A tall viewing platform once stood on the same site when it was a Rangitāne o Manawatū pā. The lookout gave Rangitāne people an unobstructed view of who was coming up or down the river, with 360 degree views. Te Kuripaka dates to the 15th century, and the use of Turitea Pā as a lookout dates back as recently as the 1850s. Unfortunately, there are no remnants of the old platform that remain today.

Turitea means bright clear water. It is pronounced Tu – ri – te – a (Tu – rhymes with blue, Ri – rhymes with key, Te – said like tear, A – like you’re saying the ‘ar’ or the ‘a’ in car). Turitea Pā is about 2km up the pathway from the main He Ara Kotahi bridge. It is just a few hundred metres on from our Urban Eels platform, and has been commonly dubbed ‘the lookout’ since the pathway opened two years ago.