Following the initial invasion on 12 July, the 65th Regiment established the Alexandra Redoubt on a hill above the Waikato River.
From here the British moved to control the lower reaches of the river and protect the supply lines of the invasion force. The fight to control the heights above the Waikato River began on 17 July at Koheroa. Te Huirama (Ngāti Mahuta) led up to 150 men in this battle but was forced to retreat when Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron attacked his positions. About 15 Māori were killed, with the British suffering only one fatality. The invaders were now able to build a redoubt facing their principal target, the Māori defences at Meremere.
