An upgrade of Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park will highlight its historical significance.

Not only is Bay of Plenty Regional Council constructing a new carpark to cope with the rapidly growing popularity of the walking tracks, but it's also adding signage and a bronze replica of the landscape for a more immersive experience.

'Visitor numbers have grown hugely,” says BOPRC coastal catchments manager Pim de Monchy. 'In 2016 the annual visitor numbers were around 60,000 – and last year we hit 115,000.

'What that means is that the carpark is regularly at capacity even at times you wouldn't expect it to be. 'We needed to do something to cater for that growth in numbers.”

There are more than 1600 archaeological features in the park including terraces and platforms, pits, middens and defensive earthworks such as ditches.

'The Pāpāmoa hills are among the most significant cultural and archaeological landscapes in New Zealand situated in an area with a density of features and number of iwi who date back to the arrival of the Arawa canoe around 1350,” says Pim. 'We've never really told that story.”

The number of archaeological features in such a small area is unusual. 'We've worked hard with mana whenua to come up with the story that should be told at each site.”

Te Uepu is the shared decision-making entity for the Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park and is made up of representatives from Toi Moana, Ngāti He, Te Kapū o Waitaha, Ngā Pōtiki and Ngāti Pūkenga.

'The new carpark is expected to be completed in May-June 2023 and is around 400 metres north of the old one, which will give easy access to some lesser-used tracks.

'Ninety-five per cent of users go straight up to the top and back – so we're excited about opening the other trails in the 173-hectare park,” says Pim.

There will be a new toilet block, a new wheelchair-friendly loop trail and a new track that links to the existing network up to Maraeroa Ridge where there are two pā sites.

'Aside from the fitness benefits for our existing users, we hope they'll become more aware of its cultural and historical significance as well.

'With Tauranga growing and with cruise ships returning and tourists returning post-Covid, I think we can expect many more visitors to the park in the years to come.” Find out more about the park at: https://www.boprc.govt.nz/living-in-the-bay/our-places/regional-parks/papamoa-hills-cultural-heritage-regional-park