Ngāti Raukawa–Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga War

A detailed account of the war was published by Walter Edward Gudgeon in the 1893 issue of the Journal of the Polynesian Society, with no indication of the sources on which it is based.

[2] It is also recorded by Pei Te Hurinui Jones, based on oral testimony given at the Māori Land Court at Cambridge in a dispute over ownership of Waotū.

[3] A similar account was given by Hōri Wirihana of Ngāti Kauwhata in evidence to the Māori Land Court at Ōtorohanga on 17 August 1886.

[4] D. M. Stafford records Arawa traditions derived from testimony given to the Māori Land Court by Hamuera Pango and Te Rangikāheke and other unnamed sources.

From that point onwards, they slowly expanded inland, with the Ngāti Raukawa iwi of Tainui establishing itself around the Waipā River.

This was fairly marginal land, but it included two maunga manu ('bird mountains'), Whakamaru and Tū-aropaki (now site of Mokai Power Station), which the people of Tainui desired.

[9][10] The Tainui war-party marched past Maungatautari and attacked the local forts of Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga on the west side of the Waikato River.

[12] Gudgeon places the defence of Te Ana-kai-tangata at this point and says that the siege lasted for three days, before the Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga forces fled.

[15] At Te Aho-roa, all the Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga dead were burnt, as revenge for their murder of Korokore, which had taken place on the site.

[17][18] Ngāti Raukawa responded with an attack on Lake Rotorua, led by Tama-te-hura, Takehiku, Upokoiti, Poutu, and Haerehuka.

Ngāti Raukawa eventually conquered Mokoroa and killed everyone, but the delay provided time for someone to send a message to Ngongotaha, where a massive pahu (gong) was struck to some aid from Te Arawa on Mokoia.

[22] Whāita and Wairangi's war-parties reunited and surrounded the hill.The two forces clashed repeatedly, but eventually hunger sapped the defenders' strength and they were unable to deflect a Tainui assault, which captured the chieftain Hikaraupi and the mountain.

[16][22] According to Wirihana, at the end of the campaign there was a disagreement about what to do with the captured Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga – Tame-te-hura wanted to keep them as slaves, but Whāita insisted that they must all be killed, so that they would not return with Arawa support to reclaim the land.

[7] Jones agrees that all the Ngāti Kahu-pungapunga died, while Gudgeon speculates that they may have fled to join Te Arawa.