Come to Pōkeno
Queen's Redoubt sits at the south end of Pōkeno township, at the junction of State Highways 1 and 2 — about 45 minutes south of Auckland. Visitors are welcome every Sunday, with group bookings by arrangement throughout the week.
Approximately 1.5 million people live within an hour's drive, and a high proportion of overseas visitors travelling between Auckland and the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Hamilton and beyond pass directly past the site. We are working toward a major new visitor centre. In the meantime, the existing Education Centre, the restored south-eastern earthworks, and the recently uncovered cobbled road give visitors a real sense of the place.
Opening hours
The Education Centre is open every Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm, in step with the Pōkeno Market just up the road. Self-guided walks of the restored earthworks, displays inside the Centre, and Trust volunteers on hand to answer questions. Any variations are noted on the board at the entrance.
The site can be opened for school groups, tour groups, historical societies and community organisations at any time between 9 am and 6 pm by prior arrangement. Tailored programmes are available for primary, intermediate and secondary students covering the New Zealand Wars and the Waikato campaign.
Make an enquiry →Getting here
By car from Auckland
About 45 minutes south of Auckland on State Highway 1. Take the Pōkeno exit and follow the Great South Road to the south end of the township. Free parking on site.
By car from Hamilton
About 50 minutes north on State Highway 1, or via the old Great South Road. Pōkeno sits at the junction of SH1 (Hamilton, Waitomo) and SH2 (Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua).
By bus / coach
Coach groups travelling between Auckland and the Waikato or Bay of Plenty are welcome to make Queen's Redoubt a stopover. Please contact the Trust ahead of time so we can open the Centre.
What you'll see
The restored south-eastern walls
The south-eastern portion of the great ditch and parapet has been carefully restored — returning the defences to something close to their 1863 form.
The cobbled road
A 100-yard cobbled road, uncovered during a 2021 working bee, runs from the west gate to the east gate of the redoubt. A 5 m × 3 m section is permanently exposed for visitors to see.
The Education Centre
Built in a form characteristic of 1860s buildings, the Centre houses interpretive displays, a scale model of the redoubt, and a small research collection on the New Zealand Wars.
Working bees & archaeology
Volunteers gather monthly. Past working bees have uncovered the cobbled road, the south-east bastion, and a box culvert through the west wall.
School visits
With the Government's prioritisation of New Zealand history teaching in schools, the Trust is increasingly hosting class groups. Education Centre displays cover the wider Land Wars and early settler period; the site itself offers a tangible link to the Waikato War.
For schools enquiries, please contact David Arrowsmith — a retired history teacher who coordinates educational outreach for the Trust — at david.arrowsmith759@gmail.com.
Contact the Trust