Karaka Point

Surrounded by water and with cliffs dropping to the water, Karaka Point was the perfect location for a fortified pa (fort). The location provided the Māori an ideal location to monitor what is today known as Queen Charlotte Sound — first known as Totaranui — for potential invaders. The area was initially named Te Rae o Te Karaka after the Ngati Chief Te Karaka; he settled there during the early 1700s. Today, it offers a stunning vista of Queen Charlotte Sound, formed an estimated 280 million years ago. The park includes historic earthworks, and whare (house) pits that likely date to the early 1700s.