Te Kooti’s Last Foray

On 7 March 1870 the prophet and rebel Te Kooti swept out of Te Urewera to Opape, east of Opotiki, in what would be his last major action of the New Zealand Wars. His forces abducted 218 Whakatohea (mostly women, children, and old men) and marched them into the bush to build a pa called Waipuna. Before long the government sent troops in pursuit - almost exclusively Maori. In this captivating book, historian Ron Crosby draws on his decades of experience in Te Urewera and recently discovered diaries to recount this overlooked yet crucial episode in the New Zealand Wars - for the first time locating precisely where the events occurred, and telling what really happened. A foreword by Justice Joe Williams sets the scene ... Illustrated with detailed maps, sketches and photos, Te Kooti's Last Foray sets straight the historical record of Ngati Porou and Whanganui's chase, casts new light on the character and abilities of Te Kooti, and brings to life an incredible story of hardship, endurance and conflicting loyalties in colonial New Zealand.