About 60 people showed up at the Huriawa Pa near Karitane yesterday for a ''working day'' to continue restoration of the historic site.
The Kati Huirapa runanga and the Department of Conservation have been restoring the 13ha site since it was returned to Ngai Tahu under the 1998 Ngai Tahu Claim Settlement Act, Doc conservation services manager David Agnew said.
Yesterday, as part of Volunteer Week, 40 Department of Conservation employees helped continue the restoration, joined by volunteers from a couple of local groups.
The work was mainly on repairing manuka slash fencing, replacing gravel on the track and cleaning up the beach.
Mr Agnew said the work was ''helping restore some of the mana back into the headland''.
''And also restoring some of the biodiversity back into the headland, as well as recognising that it's important for recreation for locals and tourists.''
The working day also helped get Doc staff members out of the office, and working together for ''team building'', he said.
Volunteer and local Margaret McFarlane said she had been to the pa many times, and went out yesterday in ''solidarity'' with Doc amid recent funding cuts and restructuring.
''[I] worked for Doc and feel quite a bit of empathy for Doc when they're restructuring it, so we're putting a bit of solidarity behind Doc and the conservation work that the local Kati Huirapa are doing as well.''
Brendan Flack, of the Kati Huirapa rununga, said the pa was ''a place of refuge for our tupuna, our ancestors''.
He hoped that by restoring native bush and the fishery at the pa site, native birds would come back.
''We're looking at the sea birds and the land birds, and the general health, as well.''
He hoped the restoration would result in people coming to visit the site.
''This place, and many places along the coast, have been locked up by the owners, and people are being denied access, so it's important that we maintain this place, not only for the people of this area, but the people of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and of course, the visitors as well, so they can come and enjoy this special place.''
''Large numbers of volunteers on a regular basis'' were helping to restore the pa, he said.
''You can't look after a place like this without the help of volunteers.''
