From Pukekohe East Church to Rangariri, the Year 12 History class, along with Mr Arrowsmith and Mrs Stevens, journeyed through hilly landscapes to witness the remnants of the Waikato Wars.
The day gifted us with blue skies, warm weather and valuable knowledge that would allow us to understand a large part of our nation’s history. Throughout the trip, we visited many battle sites that significant people like King Tāwhiao, Governor George Grey and Lieutenant Duncan Cameron stood on.
One of these sites was Pukekohe East Church, where we were still able to witness on the church walls the bullet holes from the war. With our own eyes we saw the trenches that date back to 1863 (during the time of the wars) and with our own feet, we walked on grounds where many men had fallen.
Every part of the trip was full of knowledge and history. Even our bus driver was a Vietnam War veteran!
Overall, not only was our trip helpful for our assessment, but it also allowed us to understand how current issues relate back to the time of the Waikato wars.
Angelika Bilbao
