The pā is one of about 70 throughout Ōruru Valley – an area once famed for its significant population base and remarkable food production.
The valley was said to have been so intensively settled that messages could be communicated by voice from pā to pā.
For Peria School principal Ariana Williams, the field trip was part of a larger journey the school was undertaking to discover the pūrākau (stories) that make Ōruru and Peria so special.
"The story of the name Ōruru speaks to the significance of the many pā sites in the valley," Williams said.
"The local history of this area is significant to our students, our school and staff because it is what makes us unique and defines who we are.
"If we know where we are from we know where we are going."
Williams added that life could make people disconnected from their whenua, people and the places, but having experiences like this and learning about the special archaeology and heritage of the whenua meant students got to see the area had a rich and interesting story to tell.
"The stories we read are always about somewhere far away – but we have our own stories and uniqueness right here in our backyard."
According to Williams, the students enjoyed learning about the history of the site and shared stories of their own pā on their own whenua.
She explained many of the students came from farming backgrounds and many had connections to Kauhanga Marae, the area's local marae.
"They made connections to what they already knew and learned new things as they saw the artefacts for themselves and walked the pā site with Bill and others."
Hearing about the ways the pā site was used at different times added to the children's understanding of how pā were used.
Williams said the students were also surprised to hear about how versatile Māori had been, with areas such as trenches for protection replaced by kūmara pits, depending on what was happening at the time
"The landscape still felt like a workable pā site, and it would be great to go back and look at the archaeological aspects that we only got to briefly see and explore with a smaller group of students."
Younger students drew pictures of what they thought the pā site might look like before they visited it, with many drawing working pā like those that were around many years ago.
"When they went to the pā, many realised they had seen pā sites before but, because they were no longer working, they just didn't realise it," Williams said.
"Some students then made the connections that time had changed the place, but understood what it must have been like for the people living there when they did, and why they built the pā as they did."
Waikainga pā, for example, was a magical place according to Williams - peaceful, with a special wairua.
She said the students were really intrigued by that particular pā, with its relics, kūmara pits and remnants of history.
"They were also really respectful of the site and our guides from Kauhanga Marae, Heritage New Zealand and Alan Garton as they shared stories about significant aspects of the pā."
For Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga director Kaiwhakahaere Tautiaki Wahi Taonga Makere Rika-Heke, Waikainga pā was once a focal point for whānau, hapori (community) and economic wellbeing.
"Traversing it brought all that back. It was like stepping back in time ... it felt natural to have the bustle of people, their activity going about their day and the laughter of children heard once more," Rika-Heke said.
"It was an unmissable opportunity to engage with tamariki, who in time will be the next generation of kaitiaki, voices and living repositories that keep the narrative and memory of Waikainga alive."
According to Williams, the field trip was part of a commitment by the school to live out its values of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), manaakitanga (process of respect and care for others) and whakamanawanui (commitment/efforts) through exploration of the local curriculum.
"We want learning to come to life for our students and what better way to make that happen than to continue this journey with the support of these groups and to create meaningful learning opportunities for our students, whānau and staff," she said.
"We are thankful for the support and guidance from Selwyn Reihana, Alan Garton, Bill Edwards, James Robinson and Makere Rika-Heke who have come together to bring these archaeological and historically significant sites to life for us."
