"But there were probably 500 to 600 people there. Certainly more than we expected," Mr Mikaere said.
"A lot of people might have missed out on the Gate Pa commemorations and thought they would come and see something else related to it."
Mr Mikaere said the Te Ranga commemoration was especially tragic because of the lives lost on the Maori side.
"Tauranga Maori lost a whole generation of their leaders."
Children performed a re-enactment of the battle, stirring some poignant moments for those who had gathered, Mr Mikaere said. "It was quite emotional and quite moving."
Mr Mikaere said the event brought closure for some people.
"It gave people an opportunity to come to terms with what happened and have that closure, acknowledge what happened and move on.
"It had a much more intimate feel to it, contributing to the atmosphere at the end. You could see people were not deliriously happy but [everybody] seemed cheerful and pleased that we arrived at this point. "It created a real whanau feel."
Mr Mikaere said the new pou, which were carved on site, would serve as a powerful reminder of what happened.
"These pou are really quite imposing and a lot more dramatic than the city pou because they are out there in the country in what was formerly a cow paddock."
As part of Battle of Gate Pa commemorations, several pou were unveiled and blessed by Cameron Rd, near the site where the battle took place.