The Waikato War Driving Tour
Discover the heritage and culture behind the significant Waikato battle sites as you delve into the history, landscape and stories that have shaped the Waikato region.
The Waikato War driving tour will take you on a unique journey to the historic battle-sites of the Waikato War, beginning at Highwic in Auckland. Following the path of war, the self-drive tour sweeps down past the Bombay Hills to Whangamarino, Rangiriri and Ngāruawāhia, continues on to the famous site at Orakau and then culminates at Pirongia, overlooking the King Country where the Kingitanga supporters sought exile after the war.
The tour features 13 major sites from Auckland to Pirongia, including five key locations with illustrated signage providing 3D imagery of what the sites would have looked like in the 1860’s, allowing visitors to see the combat that would have taken place at their very feet.
Learn about the actions that took place leading up to and during the battles with a mobile app that provide GPS linked maps, and an audio narrated guide for each location, as well as a high-quality, downloadable educational kit that teachers can use to take school trips through the driving tour.
Begin your journey through The Waikato Wars at www.thewaikatowar.co.nz
