Dear Spaceships Traveller,

This is a personal note from me, Scott Cook,

the author of the NZ Frenzy guidebooks.

You’ve chosen your campervan rental com-

pany wisely. You will have a better trip, maybe
a once-in-a-lifetime trip, in a Spaceships camper
with NZ Frenzy aboard with you. Spaceships
goes way beyond the normal camper company in
their desire to help you have a better NZ holiday,
and now they’ve added these PDFs as another
tool in their Swiss Army Knife of campers.

Spaceships care. They care about YOUR New

Zealand travel experience and by exclusively
providing you with my book PDFs for free, in
advance, they’ve really stepped-up to help you
have an extraordinary holiday exploring NZ in
depth. Honestly, I’m happy and proud to be affiliated with Spaceships because they really are a
progressive company that goes far beyond the normal.

I have now spent a total of 900 days self-touring New Zealand in a campervan. I’ve packed my
NZ Frenzy books full of tips about the must see places, but my books really shine with detailed
info about the non-touristy hidden wonders usually only locals know about. As a result my guide-
books are the best-rated NZ guidebooks that exist. Give the reviews on Amazon.com a look if you
want to read some traveler opinions, then dig in and get planning!

Personally, I hope you have an epic NZ frenzy. I wrote my guidebooks specifically for travellers
like you. Travellers who want to self-tour the world-famous landscapes of New Zealand with de-
tailed info and insights into the off-the-beaten-path wonder-spots that only locals usually know of.

Read-up, fly-in, jump aboard your Spaceship and get going on your own personal NZ frenzy. I
know you’ll love New Zealand as much as I do.

Cheers...and see ya out there around NZ! I’ll say hi.

Scott Cook
 TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:
Cape Reinga (A1) Rotorua (F11-21)
Tane Mahuta (B4) Huka Falls (G2)
Bay of Islands/Paihia (C4) Tongariro Crossing (G13)
Hot Water Beach (E7) Waitomo Caves (H8)
Cathedral Cove (E8) Te Papa Museum (J10)

Well-known Second-tier Must-see Attractions:

Te Paki Dunes (A3-4) Craters of the Moon (G3)
Trounson Kauri/Kiwi (B5) Spa Park Hot Spring (G6)
Tutukaka Coast (C8-10) Whakapapa Village (G15)
Muriwai Beach (D1) Raglan (H1)
Karangahake Gorge (E1) Dawson Falls (H18)
Mt Maunganui (F1) Tolaga Bay (I 6)
Kerosene Creek (F15) Lake Waikaremoana (I 12)
Mud Pool (F19) Castlepoint (J3)
Aratiatia Rapids (G1)

Favorite Obscurities:
Puheke Hill (A8) Hamurana Springs (F7)
Mahinepua Peninsula (A14) Te Porere History (G11)
Hokianga’s Hidden Sands (B2) Ruapehu’s Wowland (G16)
Yakas Kauri (B4) Tongaporutu (H11)
Aroha Island (C1) Paritutu Rock (H14)
Mermaid Pool (C9) Tuahine Lighthouse (I7)
Abbey Caves (C11) Shine Falls (I 15)
Waipu Cave (C18) Cape Palliser (J6)
Homunga Beach (E4) Baring Head Lighthouse (J9)
Coromandel Walkway (E14)

i
NZ Frenzy North Island New Zealand
ISBN: 978-09799232-34
First Edition 2009
Copyright © 2009 by Scott Cook
Second edition © 2013 by Scott Cook
Third edition © 2016 by Scott Cook

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any

form without previous permission from the author.

All text and photography done by the author, except where noted.

Book design and layout done by Jody Conners and Gary Asher at
Maverick Publications, Bend, Oregon, USA.

Email Scott: [email protected]

Front Cover Photo: Whale Bay (C8)

Warning: Walking and tramping in New Zealand can be dangerous.

All the information in this book has been personally checked by the
author to be accurate. However, track conditions can change. The
author can accept no responsibility for any inconvenience or injury
due to the use of this guide.

Help me, help you, help them:

please review my book on Amazon.com

ii
 CONTENTS
A FAR NORTH REGION E11 Castle Rock
A1 Cape Reinga E12 Thames/Coromandel/Port Jackson Dr
A2 Te Werahi Track E13 Port Jackson Camp & Murawai Hilltop Walk
A3 Te Paki Stream E14 Fletcher Bay Camp & Coromandel Walkway
A4 Te Paki Dune Lakes Adventure E15 Waikawau Beach
A5 Scott Point-Twilight Beach Track F BAY OF PLENTY / ROTORUA REGION
A6 3 Far North DoC Camping Beaches
F1 Mt. Maunganui
A7 90-Mile Beach
F2 Kaiate Falls
A8 Puheke Hill
F3 Tuahu Kauri
A9 Maitai Bay
F4 Waiorongomai Valley
A10 Fig Tree Loop Track
F5 Wairere Falls
A11 Ahipara/Shipwreck Bay
F6 Otanewainuku Scenic Reserve
A12 Omahuta Kauri Stump
F7 Hamurana Springs Loop
A13 St. Paul’s Rock
F8 Okere Falls/Kaituna Rapids
A14 Mahinepua Peninsula Track F9 Waitangi Soda Hot Springs
B NORTHLAND - WEST REGION F10 Lake Tarawera East Shore
B1 Hokianga Harbour F11 Rotorua for Free
B2 Hokianga’s Hidden Sands F12 Whaka-rewa-rewa Viewpoint Trk
B3 Waiotemarama Bush Walk F13 Waimangu Thermal Valley
B4 Waipoua Forest Kauris F14 Rainbow Mountain
B5 Trounson Kiwi & Kauri Reserve F15 Kerosene Creek
B6 Kai-Iwi Lakes F16 Kaingaroa Maori Carvings
B7 Maunganui Bluff Track F17 Waikite Valley Thermal Pools
B8 Baylys Beach F18 Waterfall Spout Bath
F19 Mud Pool
B9 Tokatoka Peak
F20 Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Pk
B10 The Kauri Museum
F21 Hot-Cold Hot Spring
C NORTHLAND - EAST REGION F22 Butcher’s Pool
C1 Aroha Island Kiwi Preserve G TAUPO / TONGARIRO REGION
C2 Rainbow Falls
G1 Aratiatia Rapids
C3 Ngawha Hot Springs
G2 Huka Falls
C4 Paihia
G3 Craters of the Moon
C5 Russell
G4 Orakei Korako
C6 Elliot Bay
G5 Kinloch-Kawakawa Bay Track
C7 Whangaruru North Head
G6 Spa Park Natural Hot Spring
C8 Tutukaka Coast
G7 Whakamoenga Point
C9 Mermaid Pool of Matapouri
G8 Mt. Tauhara
C10 Tane Moana G9 Lake Rotopounamu
C11 Abbey Caves G10 Tokaanu Thermal Pools & Park
C12 Whangarei Falls/Kauri Walkway G11 Te Porere Redoubt/Opotaka
C13 Mt. Manaia Track G12 Okupata Cave
C14 Mt. Aubrey/Reotahi Shoreline Lp G13 Tongariro Crossing
C15 Kauri Mountain Track & Beach G14 Mt. Ngauruhoe
C16 Smugglers Cove-Busby Head Lp Trk G15 Whakapapa Village
C17 Bream Headland Loop Track G16 Ruapehu’s Wowland
C18 Waipu Cave G17 Ohakune/Turoa Ski Fields
C19 Piroa Falls G18 Tree Trunk Gorge/Waikato Falls
C20 Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway
C21 Te Arai Point H RAGLAN/WAITOMO/TARANAKI REGION
D WAITAKERE COAST REGION H1 Raglan/Bridal Veil Falls
H2 Mt. Karioi Tramp
D1 Muriwai Beach H3 Raglan - Bridal Veil Loop
D2 Goldie Bush/Mokoroa Falls H4 Raglan to Awakino Camping Rt
D3 Bethell’s Beach H5 Kawhia/Aotea Beaches
D4 Piha Beach H6 Taharoa Beach
D5 Karekare Beach H7 Ruakuri Tunnels
D6 Whatipu Beach H8 West from Waitamo - Te Anga
E COROMANDEL REGION H9 Waikawau Tunnel Beach
H10 Awakino Heads/ Mokau
E1 Karangahake Gorge H11 Tongaporutu
E2 Waitawheta Tramway H12 Whitecliffs Walkway Loop
E3 Waihi Beach/Orokawa Beach Track H13 Omaru Falls
E4 Homunga Beach H14 Paritutu Rock & Back Bay
E5 Pinnacles Loop Track H15 Wreck of the Gairloch
E6 Broken Hills H16 Taranaki Surf Hwy
E7 Hot Water Beach H17 Egmont Railway Lp
E8 Cathedral Cove H18 Egmont National Park
E9 Whitianga/Lonely Bay/Cooks Beach H19 Patea Shipwreck & Lookout
E10 Coromandel Road 309 iii H20 Waverley Beach Cont’d
 I EAST CAPE / HAWKES BAY REGION I 15 Shine Falls
I1 Kohi Point Loop Trk I 16 Te Mata Peak
I2 Maraehako Bay I 17 Havelock Waterfall Tour
I3 Hicks Bay Wharf and Waterfall
I4 East Cape Road J SOUTH / WELLINGTON REGION
I5 Tokomaru Ghost Town J1 Taumata Longest Place Name
I6 Tolaga Bay J2 Waihi Falls
I7 Derelict Tuahine Point Lighthouse J3 Tui Brewery
I8 Rere Falls J4 Castlepoint
I9 Rere Rockslide J5 Putangirua Pinnacles
I 10 Mahia Peninsula J6 Cape Palliser
I 11 Te Reinga Falls J7 Otaki Forks
I 12 Urewera National Park J8 Rimutaka Forest Park
I 13 Whirinaki Loop Track J9 Baring Head Lighthouse Loop
I 14 Tarawera Hot Springs J10 Wellington Harbours Drive

A Far North
A B Northland – West
C Northland – East
D Waitakere Coast
E Coromandel
C F Bay of Plenty/Rotorua
G Taupo/Tongariro
H Raglan/Waitomo/Taranaki
I East Cape/Hawkes Bay
B J South/Wellington
E

G I

Base map courtesy of Geographx

iv
 USING THIS GUIDE....READ THIS
Using this guidebook is different. I care FAR MORE about your travel
experience in NZ than the usual mainstream guidebook author. The fol-
lowing are some explanations of some of the odd things I try in order to “go
the extra mile” for you. The way I see it, if an outdoors guidebook hasn’t
substantially changed in the past ten years, then that guidebook author
isn’t being creative enough using the newer internet tools now available
to all of us. Google and the internet have changed travel planning in huge
and beneficial ways. Here are some of the things I’ve tried to implement
to help you both plan and then execute a far better first-time NZ trip than
was ever possible in the pre-internet age.
Website/blog paralleling the printed book: For each of my
NZ Frenzys I’ve crafted a Wordpress blog which attempts to parallel the
written-book entries. For this book the site is called “NZFRENZYNORTH”,
with an exact internet address of http://nzfrenzynorth.wordpress.com/.
You should simply be able to Google NZFRENZYNORTH and go directly
to this site.
I have an intro/instructions of sorts on the main page, but the bread ‘n’
butter of this site are the entries listed top-to-bottom along the right-hand
margin, organized just as the entries in the book are organized. The chief
purpose of this website is to offer the photos that are in the written book in
full color and full size, but also so I can add other photos of the particular
place that won’t all fit in the written book. I’m hoping that all these photos
that I’ve taken over my years of exploring NZ will somehow help you make
better planning choices about the places to put on your personal NZ tour-
ing must-see list. I also reckon that my organized-by-place photos will be
simply the best single source of organized NZ outdoors photos available
ANYWHERE, either on the internet or elsewhere. I like to think that these
photos with their extra little descriptions/informations will substantially
help you in your at-home planning process. But…I also know that all this
information might overwhelm your planning process….like too much of
a good thing maybe. I know that’ll you’ll want to go everywhere and do
everything in NZ…but hahahaha, you simply just can’t in your vacation
time allowance. Hahaha, tough crap….planning a trip to NZ just isn’t easy
because there is FAR FAR FAR too much to see and do…far far far too
many natural wonders to behold. You’re just gonna have to plan to come
back. That’s not a bad thing. Lucky you.
OK, so also on the blog are some screen-grab GoogleEarth maps that
I create for most every entry. These maps are an attempt to orient you to
the spot, highlight the route if needed, and highlight the area’s other points
of interest if apropos. I think this is a great use of the Web, because if a
guidebook uses maps on its pages, those maps have to be both big and
detailed to be useful…but the result is that then you can’t fit as many photos
of the spot into the written guidebook…and then you might not even know
you want to visit the spot because a map will never shout out like a photo
“come see me!”. The way I see it, my book should alert and excite you
to see a spot, and my blog might then fill in some extra details and more
v
robust info (but the book has to have enough to stand on its own also,
in case you have no Web or just choose to be Luddite-ish about things).
Finally, the blog entry for each book entry has the GPS Google
Coordinates at the top of the page. These coordinates are also on
every entry in the written book, but having them on the blog lets you cut
‘n’ paste them into either the GoogleEarth or GoogleMaps searchbox with
ease. Thus, as you look thru the written book to plan your NZ trip, I hope
you’ll have your computer open to the blog while also having Google-
Earth open to cut ‘n’ paste the entry GPS address into the top left search
box so that you can virtually “fly there” to see the spot on GoogleEarth.
I LOVE this. Why don’t other guidebooks do this?? Oh, just cuz they’re
not trying as hard as I am. Consider the gauntlet now thrown down. This
is my personal “game of throwns”. Does it work for you? Please lemme
know…[email protected].
Google
Coords GoogleEarth Coords for every entry: Every entry
in the book, in the header box, has a set of corresponding GoogleEarth
coordinates. These are coordinates I’ve lifted-off of GoogleEarth, in a GPS
format that is easier to copy/write than the typical GPS address that has
all those hash-marks and degree symbols. Just type the numerals into
the GoogEarth/Maps search box and voilá, you’re “virtually” there…easy-
peasy. I’ve chosen to make the coordinates point to the carpark for the
location, where the hike/outing begins, rather than the exact spot of, say,
the waterfall/cave/trail. I’ve placed photos onto GoogEarth’s Panoramio
overlay which should help you find the exact location of the waterfall/cave/
trail, etc…but first you’ll need to know where to drive to in order to start
the outing.
And, as I said in the above website dialog, the GoogleEarth coords are
on every entry on the website for easy cut ‘n’ pasting.

GoogleEarth pix uploads: If you use GoogleEarth to help plan your

NZ travels, as you should, you’ll also find that I’ve uploaded
literally thousands of photos onto the Panoramio photo
collection that overlays the GoogleEarth
maps of an area. For those not “in the
know”, these photos show up as little
blue dots all over the GoogEarth maps.
If they’re not showing up on your personal GoogEarth,
then you need to check the “photos” check-box on the
bottom left side of the GoogEarth options panel.
I find that these Panoramio photos, all uploaded by kind-hearted,
do-gooding, altruistic users like myself, are a godsend for helpful travel
planning. Not only do they show you photos supposedly taken from
where the dot lays on the map, they also show a range of photos, often
of amateur quality and often in crappy weather/light conditions. I often
find this much more useful than all the perfect-as-can-be photos from the
tourism-promotion sites. Real world views, real world perspectives on a
location. Wow.

vi
 Long time GoogleEarth users will know that many of these Panoramio
photos are placed in the wrong locations by sloppy photo-placers. Not
much can be done about this. But, I take the time and make the extra effort
that EVERY one of my personally uploaded photos are in the exact-est
locations as they can be. This has taken me hundreds of hours. Which
other guidebook author does this?? Oh yeah, the really committed and
clever ones…i.e….not many. Why not?
Obscure-O-Meter: The li’l Obscure-o-Meter gauge I invented for the
first edition of the South Island book proved to be
one of the most popular and most commented-
upon facets of the book. Nice. It did what I hoped
it would….offering an at-a-glance experienced
insight as to a spot’s relative popularity from a tourism perspective, without
having to use valuable space in the text to get the point across.
In a nutshell, the Obscure-o-Meter gives you my personal opinion as
to how much typical tourism to expect at a particular location. Pinned
to the left means to only expect yourself and a few locals at the spot (a
local secret), whereas pinned to the right means you should expect full
tour-bus-type tourism hoopla. These ratings really only apply during the
tourism-heavy NZ summer months.
Also, if an outing is skewed towards the obscure, then you should know
that you probably won’t find much outside help on your visit there other than
my written description—you won’t find info in the mainstream guidebooks
nor at the NZ i-Sites…nor should you expect too much touring publicity
like street signs, track markers, or carpark mapboards. When I point the
marker full-left, you need to expect to be on your own and rely on your
own resourcefulness. Prepare ahead of time when venturing towards my
obscure entries, as there will be little or no help from normal NZ tourism
sources. This is what my blog is also for—extra insight and help.
I created the Obscure-o-Meter for one simple reason: it’s exactly the
info that I personally crave to be told the first time I visit a travel location.
I don’t mind much if a particular “must-see” destination is crowded, as long
as I have the proper expectation to expect a crowd. What I hate is when
the guidebook/tourism info makes it seem like a place is sort of a secret,
and then you get there to see a mob of other tourists. Yikes, bummer,
Lonely Planet overload. What I also need to know is when not to expect
help from trail signs/maps or in the NZ case the little orange DoC track
markers that most-often lead you around the tracks. When you expect
junction signs and such and they’re not there…then that’s frustrating…but
knowing ahead of time when someplace is little-visited and non-touristy
tips me off that I need to check with GoogEarth and other resources before
heading out on that type of adventure.
Some folks email me with the worry that I might “ruin” the very obscure
places that I love by aiming my camera and words at them. Well, it could
happen…someday…but I really don’t sell many books in the bigger scheme
of NZ Tourism. The bummer might be when the Lonely Planet authors
begin to copy stuff out of my books. Hmmm. But I am sensitive to the
notion that some things need to be left a bit secret…and thus the riddle
for entry F18. And, believe me, I have plenty of personal NZ secrets that
I’m NOT telling you about (evil laugh!)
vii
Pronunciation help: I’m just trying to help a little. I’m no scholar, nor
much a cunning Maori linguist. I’m just trying to give you an early “head’s
up” so that you don’t arrive in NZ and say “May-orey” your first day and
“wacka-tayne” (Whakatane: entry I1) your second day. If you can pronounce
the Maori place names better, you won’t feel like such a tourist fool…and
you can absorb advice better when Kiwi locals offer it by knowing how
some of these tongue-twisting place names are supposed to sound. Hope
it helps at least a li’l bit.
Walking time/distance…and walk/tramp: When you get to NZ
and head out for some walks and hikes you’ll find that Dept. of Conservation
signage differs at many trailheads. Sometimes you are told how long a
walk will take one-way, sometimes how long it will take both out and back
(called “return”)…and sometimes newer signs just tell you the distance in
kms. To add to the confusion, the time-estimates on the signs are often
quite slow. When a sign says “one hour”, the trail typically takes me 40
minutes. Of course this varies for different folks.
Anyhow, so I’ve tried to tell you both distance and estimated time, either
as a one-way estimate, or for an entire loop. I’ve tried to make the NZ
Frenzy time estimates span the time for a fast hiker (myself) to a guess for
a slower (less frenzied) pace. When I say “60-80 minutes one-way”, I mean
it took me about 60 minutes, but I’m guessing an “average hiker” (one who
has companions to talk/comment with and is not always in a huge hurry
to update a massive amount of guidebook info) might take 80 minutes.
The NZ track signage probably will only post the 80-minute guesstimate.
As for the walk/tramp difference in my description…these are two
VERY big distinctions in terms of an NZ track. A walk means that
the track is well-formed and maintained whereas a tramp means to expect
rough-going conditions often with overly-steep spots that may require hands
‘n’ feet scrambling, if not pure grappling. Walks have bridged streams
whereas tramps have rock-hop splash-acrosses. See entries H2, H14,
and E11 for some Kiwi-tramping perspective.
Finally…this guidebook isn’t perfect, but it is the best I’m able to
conjure up. It is the best of my abilities. However, it is also a bit of an
experiment. I have no idea if this book ‘n’ blog concept will actually work
well to help you plan and execute your NZ trip. Maybe
I’ve gone too far and just over-complicated things by
barraging you with too much info. Maybe I’ve made it
too difficult to decide on anything? Well, regardless,
I’ve tried my hardest to help you have a fabulous NZ
experience. NZ constantly “wows” me and I sincerely
hope my book helps you find some major Wows of
your own!

viii
 “A land of stupendous mountains,

roaring cataracts, silvery cascades,

fantastic volcanic formations,

magnificent landscapes, noble forests

and picturesque islands.”

– Thomas Bracken, 1879
From The New Zealand Tourist

1
 Far North
A

A1 Cape Reinga A8 Puheke Hill

A2 Te Werahi Track A9 Maitai Bay
A3 Te Paki Stream A10 Fig Tree Loop Track
A4 Te Paki Dune Lakes Adventure A11 Ahipara/Shipwreck Bay
A5 Scott Point-Twilight Beach Track A12 Omahuta Kauri Stump
A6 3 Far North DoC Camping Beaches A13 St. Paul’s Rock
A7 90-Mile Beach A14 Mahinepua Peninsula Track

2
FAR NORTH REGION
A
The Far North has a mystical appeal for travelers, probably
mostly just due to its “northernmost bit” location with the famed
lighthouse at the Maori-fabled Cape Reinga. No doubt, the Far
North does deliver on its promised oohs and ahhhs. Cape Reinga
is magnificent with its criss-crossing wave turbulence where the
seas actually do collide. The Te Paki Dunes are superlatively large
and jaw-drop beautiful and explorably FUN! 90-Mile Beach is
the longest in NZ, even if you can’t/won’t drive it and only see its
miles via a tour bus. Camping at Spirits Bay will stoke your spirit.
The endless lefts at Ahipara’s “Shippies” surf beach are Endless
Summer -worthy. The Far North definitely delivers above its low-
key hype.
Personally speaking, there are no better beaches anywhere in
NZ for long stretches of gorgeous solitude than up here at the tip.
Think Ahipara’s dunes, the trio of beaches on the Te Werahi loop,
Spirits Bay, Rarawa’s hidden north expanse, Puheke’s whitesand
glory, Maitai’s twin smiles. Simply divine stretches of gorgeous
beach serenity. Toss in some views at Fig Tree, Mahinepua and
St Paul’s Rock and you’ll have a coastal-beauty overload. Oh my
god, I need to stop typing and get myself up to the Far North!! In
mid-summer, when ALL the Far North water is swimmably warm,
there’s no place I’d rather spend a week on the North Island.
Kaitaia is the major town of the Far North, but it has little to inter-
est visitors other than its large Pak ‘n’ Save grocery store. Other
than Kaitaia there are only tiny little villages with tiny little markets
in all the Far North area.

Don’t miss: Cape Reinga (A1)

Te Paki Dunes (A3-A4)
Maitai Bay (A9)
Fig Tree Loop (A10)
Mahinepua Peninsula Walk (A14)

3
 A1 CAPE REINGA
Far North (Say: Ree-enga)

Scenic lighthouse and beach access

Walk: Easy 1km (10 minute) stroll to
lighthouse, moderate tracks

Google
Coords -34.428810 172.680912 OBSCUR-O-METER

Sunset (no crowds) The legendary As touristy as this classic

Pohutukawa lighthouse can be (150,000+ people
per year), the fact remains that this
lookout is truly both beautiful and
unique. Cape Reinga is the most
scenic lighthouse in NZ because
there’s a lot more to look at other
than just a horizon line. The seas,
Cape Reinga
Tasman and Pacific, do actually
meet here (as most tourism promo states) and it’s neat to watch the waves
explode into each other creating angling lines of spray. Also notice the
peculiar checkerboard pattern where the waves criss-cross on the beach
below.
The famous Pohutukawa tree of Maori
legend, visible on the east side of the rocky
cape extending north from the lighthouse,
is reputed to be 600-800 years old and
represents the legendary departure point
for Maori spirits on their way to their afterlife
in Hawaiiki. Your spirit may also depart if
you’re enjoying some rare solitude at Cape Reinga when a gaggle of tour
buses arrive and belch a wave of snap/yap-happy tourists. In summer
it’s hard to escape the tour-bus arrivals (the buses are those that race up
90-Mile Beach at low-tide, often from as far away as Paihia). Your best
bet for minimal crowds is early morning or late afternoon.
For a bit of a walk you can head down from the carpark towards
either Te Werahi Beach or Sandy Beach—each route is about 20-30
minutes down…but
Cape Van Diemen be prepared for the
Lighthouse
180m climb back up.
Te Werahi Beach is
the best for a long,
scenic, and often
people-free beach
walk. Sandy Beach
Looking south
from Cape Reinga is a delightful small
cove.
DRIVING: The lighthouse carpark is 21km (now paved) from Waitiki
Landing. There are no services/stores or anything else on the
road past Waitiki Landing.
4
 A2 TE WERAHI TRACK
(Say: Tee wear-a-he)

Far North
STUNnING BEACHES, DUNES, AND CAPE
Walk: Moderate 3-5 hour (14-18km) loop

Google
Coords -34.456541 172.707022 OBSCUR-O-METER

Cape Reinga Lighthouse Te Werahi is the Far North’s

premier loop track! This marvelous
loop encompasses both Twilight
and Te Werahi beaches, an
optional trek out to Cape Maria
Van Diemen’s lighthouse, a
golden-dune crossing, some red/
yellow volcanic badlands, and a
refreshing dip in the Te Werahi
Looking north over Te Werahi Beach
stream. The marked route over
the dunes towards Twilight beach is the NZ’s only marked route through
a dune field. Quintessential Northland!
The Te Werahi loop is a long route, often under the hot sun—thus it’s
not for the feeble. It is a personal favorite though because 90% of the time
it is pure solitude—just you and endless Far North beaches and vistas! At
a brisk pace the main loop takes 2.5 hours, plus an extra 1.5 hours if you
add an out/back to Cape Van Diemen. Going clockwise is best because
this way you’ll cross the dunes while you’re
energetic and then get a refreshing rinse in
the Te Werahi beach stream before the plod
back overland up to the carpark.
Walk There’s a map at the carpark—take a photo of it. Head left to the
treeline (note the trees so you can look back from the far dunes to spy your
car.) Cruise along the marked fenceline down to the stile leading to a bog
boardwalk. From the boardwalk you’ll pick up a line of orange poles. Across
the dunes it’ll take an hour to Twilight Beach, then 30 minutes more to the
Cape Van Diemen fork (a 90-minute side-trip to the Cape mini-lighthouse is
totally worth it. A grassy/overgrown/
faint path climbs steeply to the mini
lighthouse.) For the main loop, at the Cape Reinga
Van Diemen junction head north for
Te Werahi Beach
20 minutes over the red badlands to
Te Werahi Beach. After a rinse in the
stream pick up the orange DoC post
markers (near/NE of the stream) for
an hour of up/down hiking back to
the carpark. Cape Maria Van Diemen Lighthouse

DRIVING: The signed pull-off carpark is 16km north of Waitiki

Landing or 4km before Cape Reinga.

5
 A3 TE PAKI STREAM (Say: Tee-pah-key)
Far North driveable/walkable streambed thru
towering dunes
Walk: Easy 3.5km between carpark and sea
• NOTE: driving rental vehicles in Te Paki or
on 90-Mile Beach is often prohibited by rental
companies.
Google OBSCUR-O-METER
Coords -34.524931 172.773983

Man, I love
these golden dunes.
I love the way the
stream cuts through
them. I love driving
my van up and down
the streambed…
splashing, weaving,
and laughing. I love
Parked in the
watching a sunset
Te Paki Dunes from the dune-top.
and stream I love swerving out
onto 90-Mile Beach.
I love the beautiful
craziness of the whole thing. Where else do you get to drive a 2WD
car through a stream zig-zagging a path between massive sand-dunes?
Nowhere!
A certain Te Paki Stream “quicksand” myth is totally overblown by the
tour-bus operators who shuttle daily busloads of tourist sheep up here
from Bay of Islands tourist land. Don’t believe the myths. In summertime
this stream is mere inches deep, totally hard-packed wetsands. Of course
don’t drive the stream
when a raging storm
is dumping rain—duh.
Keep your car moving
when in the streambed
and you’ll have no
problems. There are
plenty of wetsand side-
terraces to pull out of the
flowing streambed to
park or turn around. Of
course don’t park in any
moving water—duh. If
you do stop and park…
to climb the gorgeous
dunes, ride a boogie
board, get another beer,
whatever…analyze the
sand you step out on...is
it squishy, are the tires Driving in the stream
6
 Tourist sinking any? Some
sandboarding on water-saturated
the dunes sand CAN act like

Far North
quicksand, so check
to make sure water
isn’t beginning to
pool around your tires
after you’ve stopped.
For a first-time
visitor, the best idea
is to walk a bit of the
streambed before
driving into it—make
sure it is hard-packed
with tire-tracks. Wait to watch other cars if you’re apprehensive. Talk to the
sandboard-hire people at the carpark and ask “how’s driving the stream?”
Overall, driving through Te Paki Stream is scary the first time, but in reality
any Volkswagen Beetle can rumble through it.
Every day a heap of tour buses splash through the Te Paki Stream
heading to or fro from Cape Reinga. I’ve seen all kind of regular passenger
cars in Te Paki and all along 90-Mile Beach. Most tourists are far too
“cautious” to risk doing anything a bit risky. Driving Te Paki Stream and
90-Mile Beach is risky…it does take a certain adventuresome savvy.
Driving Te Paki Stream is real NZ adventure. Are you up for a try?? This
is the type of NZ adventure you’ll tell stories about when you get back
home, Nobody tells a story about how they took a bus ride. Go for it…
you’ll be right!

90-Mile Beach

Te Paki Stream

Looking west from dunes

DRIVING: Te Paki’s access is 4km north of Waitiki Landing, then

4km west to the dunes’ carpark. The stream portion itself is 3.5km
to the beach. Once on 90-Mile Beach it’s about an hour south to
the Waipapakauri off ramp.
7
 A4 TE PAKI DUNE LAKES ADVENTURE
Far North dUNE-TOP EXPLORING AND WARM SWIMMING
IN HIDDEN LAKE
Tramp: Moderate sand-scrambling loop...
about 1.5-2.5 hours round-trip

Google
Coords -34.524931 172.773983 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Te Paki
Dunes are one of
Northland’s finest
exclamation points,
yet few people ever
Te Paki Carpark take a look much
past the sand-
tobogganing slope
at the eastern road-
access point. The
drive through the
Te Paki Stream is
a truly unique wild
ride (A3), but few
To Lake
travelers, either out
of timidity (or maybe good sense), choose to venture beyond the east-
side carpark.
Hiring a boogie-board for a ride down the dune-face at least gets people
out onto the dunes for a decent look around. But if you want a much more
unique experience on these wonder-filled dunes, then this unmarked
adventure loop is the ticket. Unknown to 99.5% of visitors is the fact that
the massive field of dunes impounds two freshwater lakes. The first lake
you might see off to the right on the Te Paki access road to the carpark,
but it really doesn’t look that interesting from the car window. Much more
interesting is a second lake hidden a 35-40 minute dune-crest scramble
from the carpark. If you head straight north from the carpark, angling NE
away from the swarm of boogie-boarders you’ll ascend into untracked
valleys of dune magnificence and clamber up steep sand slopes etched
with only the footprints of the wind. The Sci-fi novel/movie Dune may stir
your mind, or maybe a wind-swept Lawrence of Arabia fantasy.
The purpose of this outing is to actually give you a goal to motivate
all this dune-top huff ‘n’ puffing—cuz it’s not easy to plod up steep sand
slopes. Most people forgo it because slogging around the “tops” is tiring
without any goal in mind. Thus, the search for the hidden lake becomes
the perfect goal…and along the way, no doubt, the untracked wildness of
the non-touristy side of the dunes will catch you up with its alien beauty.
Once you find the lake and have a freshwater rinse/swim, you then can
return by a route that’ll take you over to the steep boogie-board hill for a
fast run-down. I’m sure you’ll smile to yourself that you experienced the
dunes’ secret that all these boogie-boarders miss out on!

8
 Far North
Swim!

The hidden dune lake

Tramp Head north out of the carpark up the steep short slope above
the stream trickle. You’ll soon see the first (lower) lake off to your right,
but keep high towards the massive dune-humps ahead. You’ll see the
streambed that flows out of the hidden lake (it is possible to descend
and follow it upstream to the lake, but this option is far less fun and does
require bush-bashing to get to the lake). Instead, stay as high as you
can, climbing the steep faces to the highest dune-top you can see. Yes,
it is steep slow heavy breathing…but when you crest the top I know you’ll
exclaim “wow!” I won’t ruin the surprises. The dune lake is to your right
but before descending to it visualize the return portion of the loop up to
the photogenic sandstone outcrops, then over your left shoulder towards
the boogie-board hill. The entire loop exploration route should become
clear from this lake-viewing dune-top.

Dune-top view to ocean

DRIVING: Access the Te Paki Dunes carpark just like in entry A3.
9
Far North
A5 SCOTT POINT-TWILIGHT BEACH TRACK
rEMOTE TRACK, STUNNING SETTING!
Walk: Moderate 50-60 minutes one-way (5km)
• Elevation trailhead: 0
• Elevation Scott Point saddle: 115m
Google
Coords -34.525789 172.724861 OBSCUR-O-METER

The DoC-marked track heading north from the end of 90-Mile Beach
over Scott Point to Twilight Beach is part of the longer multi-day Cape
Reinga Walkway, but you can walk this shorter and amazingly gorgeous
slice of it if you’re a bit adventurous. First I’ll describe the walk…then the
adventure.
On the walk, seeing the elevated views south over 90-Mile Beach
and the Te Paki Dunes is breathtaking. Then, seeing north to Cape Van
Diemen and Twilight Beach will surely knock your socks off and eat up
any megapixels your memory card still holds! Total Far North eye-candy!
Arriving at Twilight Beach, chances are that it’ll be “all yours”, since the
only other access is via the seldom-used Te Werahi track. Ahhh, a mile-
long beach heaven. You’ll return the way you came.
Here’s the adventure part. You NEED GUMPTION, PLANNING and
TIMING to walk this track!!! On a falling tide you have to drive through Te
Paki Stream and then 4km north up to the end of 90-Mile Beach to access
the Scott Pt trailhead. At endpoint of 90-Mile Beach, where a staircase
begins the track, exists a bit of a rough carpark where you can pull your
car up off the wet hard-packed sand onto a flat grassy above-high-tide safe
spot (you can clearly see this on GoogleEarth, as well a bunch of my pix).

Te Paki Dunes
90-Mile Beach

View from Scott Point

10
 Far North
Park-up at end of 90-Mile
OK then, thus you have about a 6-hour window around low-tide to drive
the Te Paki Stream and up the beach, walk the track, return on the track…
and then drive back down the beach to Te Paki Stream before the rising
tide pinches you off. This is way too much planning necessary for most
folks who hurry-hurry everywhere like NZ tourism lemmings…but if you
want to see a knock-out spot and have a mile-long beach all to yourself…
then get a tide chart for 90-Mile in the local paper, make the plan, and have
a go! (I’ve overnight camped many-a-time at the trailhead and you might
want to collect some firewood along the Te Paki access road).

Cape Van Diemen

Looking towards Twilight Beach

DRIVING: Use Google Earth and figure it out, you frenzied intrepid
NZ adventurer! If you won’t go to that trouble, you don’t belong
on this track.

11
 A6 THREE FAR NORTH DoC
Far North CAMPING BEACHES
PERSPECTIVE ON CAMPING NEAR CAPE REINGA

• All DoC camping: approx. $8pp, water,

cold showers and toilets at each camp.
BRING MOSQUITO SPRAY! OBSCUR-O-METER

Rarawa Beach: Google -34.72569 173.082578

Coords

Rarawa is mid-way up the 90-Mile Beach peninsula and easy to access

from the signed turn-off via a short 4km gravel road. The spacious DoC
camp is set well back from the beach along a stream in a grassy/trees
area—no view of beach from the camp. The charm of Rarawa Beach is its
white sand. Most of the beach is hard-packed and 4WD cars drive onto it.
Where Rarawa’s beauty REALLY comes alive is if you walk to the far north
end of the beach then scamper 15 minutes over the tide-pool/mermaid
pool rocks. These pools are great, but better is the endless white sand
beach of Great Exhibition Bay stretching northwards. This beach may be
the longest stretch of unpeopled beach in NZ, and powdery white sand to
boot! You won’t find whiter sand than this—it is reputed to be the world’s
purest silica sands and was once mined for its purity. Grab a handful to
compare with Taranaki’s 100% black sands (H10).
Google
Spirits Bay: Coords -34.427239 172.862558
Spirits Bay is a drop-dead long gorgeous crescent of beach that
becomes drop-deader as the tide recedes and its big smile of beach gets
wider ! Long beach-walk heaven. On Spirit’s east end is a shallow

Great Exhibition Bay

North coves at Rarawa

12
 Far North
Spirits Bay

sandy cove perfect for swimming. Sharp eyes can spot Cape Reinga’s
lighthouse to the NW. The DoC camp is very spacious, though you can’t
see the beach/ocean from the camp. The arduous gravel access road to
Spirits Bay keeps the camper hordes at bay. The signed turn-off is just
north of Waitiki Landing and then its 16km of gravel road to the camp/beach.
This is a wide, fast, graded gravel road, good for any car or RV, but the
length keeps casual sightseers away—it takes about 20 minutes to drive.
Tapotupotu Bay: Google -34.437325 172.715703
Coords

This little beach cove is tucked right under Cape Reinga—the access
road is signed just a couple kms before the Cape’s road-end carpark. The
beach cove is a beauty, though small…and you’re able see the ocean from
the camp area. Sounds great…but…the DoC camp is fairly small, and
this is the problem with Tapotupotu. Since it is near the Cape and easy to
access, “everyone” thinks it’ll be a perfect campsite…and thus “everyone”
crowds in, especially as dusk approaches and all the freedom-camper-
types are shooed out the carpark at Cape Reinga...only to migrate down
here to squeeze in. Mosquitoes can be dreadful too. The wise frenzied
camper heads a bit farther to Spirits Bay.

13
 A7 90-MILE BEACH
Far North 2wd driveable 100KM stretch of
featureless beach
Google
Coords
Waipapakauri: -35.040077 173.167533
Hukatere: -34.898751 173.084670
Te Paki: -34.549017 172.757835 OBSCUR-O-METER

90-Mile Beach is at once both the most nondescript and the most
amazing beach on the island—a classic Far North adventure! The beach’s
myth is legendary…cars swallowed by rising tides, quicksand, sweeper
waves, etc., etc., but the reality is less dramatic. The entire 66-mile beach
is almost featureless. Therein lies its greatness though, because no
features…means no blockages…means a 2WD car can drive the entire
length at half-tide or lower (a 6-hour window). At low tide this beach
becomes the best/funnest highway on the island. Where else on the North
Island can you drive straight for 60 miles, “pedal to the metal”?
Ignore the rampant scare-the-tourists myths…90-Mile Beach needs
to be respected, not feared. Local 2WD
cars drive on it every day. Daily Tour
buses speed its entire length. It’s fast,
it’s fun, and it’s hypnotic…endless dunes
on one side, breakers and horizon on the
other. 90-Mile Beach is both the fastest
and the funnest route from Cape Reinga
down to Ahipara!
There are, of course, a few need-to-knows. First, wetsand is your
friend, dry sand is the enemy. The lower (wet) half of the beach is where
you want to drive. Second, it’s often swerve-happy teens and careless
picnickers who get stuck in the dry sand when they do U-turns or attempt
to stop high up on the dry sand beach. If you do ever get bogged down,
DON’T SPIN YOUR WHEELS and dig
yourself deeper. If you haven’t brought a
plank or shovel to help you dig, then just
wait…fishermen will come by and they
are generally well-prepared and friendly,
especially if you are both humble and
have beer.

Now you’re scared,

better take the bus

14
 For your first time
Hukatere Hill
on 90-Mile, definitely

Far North
go on a falling tide to
give yourself plenty of
time to turn back and
retreat if you decide to.
About the beach
driving route: If you’ve 2WD on/off
never driven sand before,
then Waipapakauri is
where you should start
because the ramp there is often the easiest—it usually leads directly down
onto wetsand, and there are often locals around the spot. But, things
change on beaches, so it’s best to go scout the Waipapakauri sand ramp
to see what shape it’s in. The Waipapakauri access is signed on SH1
about 8km north of Awanui.
Once on the beach, heading
north from Waipapakauri set your
odometer. In 17km you’ll find the
Hukatere Hill access road (directly at
the small namesake hill). In recent
years this access has been improved
for 2WD usage. You could enter or
2WD on 90-Mile
exit the beach at this point. Heading
north from Hukatere, the only way off the beach is via the Te Paki Stream
(50km north of Hukatere Hill, 67km north of Waipapakauri ramp) (A3).

Some tips:
u Slow down at the many stream crossings and hit them at an angle.
u Bring a plank or two of wood to help dig out the unlucky/unskilled.
u The “pinch” at The Bluff is the crucial point to get around on a rising
tide. On its northern side some rocks extend down to the mid-tide line. It’ll
be sketchy getting past this point at mid-tide or higher.
u At low tide it’s sometimes possible to drive from Ahipara to
Shipwreck Bay via a fun The off/on ramp at Waipapakauri
slalom course through
the rocks. Sometime the
Sealed
sand changes and the ramp
route isn’t feasible.
u The Ancient Kauri
Kingdom, north of Awanui,
has a $$ carwash that’ll
de-sand and de-salt your
entire car. Good idea!! Wet sand

DRIVING: Waipapakauri is signed off of SH1 about 8km north of

Awanui. Hukatere’s access road is called Whaler’s Rd and is 27km
north of Waipapakauri, or 2.5km south of Pukenui. The Te Paki
Stream access road is 4km north of Waitiki Landing then 4km west.

15
 A8 PUHEKE HILL
Far North (Say: Poo-heh-keh)

extinct volcano/white sand beach

Walk: Short steep walk to top of volcano

• Elevation: 130m
Google
Coords -34.860518 173.328390 OBSCUR-O-METER

When was the last time that you climbed a volcano sprouting from a
white sand beach? When was the last time you gazed from the top of
a volcano that bisected a 12km stretch of sugar-white sand, not another
soul in sight?
Puheke is a small volcanic hill rising 130 meters directly off the beach.
And what a beach it is—vast expanses of white sands and azure waters…
not a home/bach in sight!! This is the type of place that seems to get left
out of the mainstream guidebooks, yet will make your heart sing louder
than all the tours those guidebooks babble on about.
The road to Puheke is via the sleepy bach village of Rangiputa. Once
at Puheke there’s beach-side parking or a dirt road leading higher onto
the flank of the volcano. From this top carpark a walk to the top takes 20
minutes. There is a faint, possibly overgrown, path that contours down
and east from the top, heading down to the beach coves.
Also, from the upper carpark a skinny path leads down to the 7
dwarves—the charming cluster secluded snow-white-sand coves nestled
against Puheke’s eastern flank. If you really want to see NOBODY all day
on a gloriously unspoiled shoreline, this is your place. Heading east along
the beach from Puheke there’s no access to the beach for 5-6km—just
a solitude of white dunes and beachcombing. Puheke is definitely the
diamond in Doubtless Bay’s not-so-rough.

Park here

Rangiputa

Looking west to Puheke Hill

16
 Maitai access
Snow White’s

Far North
coves

Puheke upper carpark

(for viewpoint track)

Snow White’s Dunes. About a 40-minute walk along Karikari beach

from the last of Puheke’s coves a little stream crosses the sands from an
inland lagoon. If you head up into the dunes before the stream you’ll find
a marvelously hidden expanse of breathtakingly white wind-patterned
dunes bordering the lagoon. Snow White never looked so good! There
are vast expanses of unvegetated dunes interspersed with shrub patches.
Explore the dunescape back westward for about 1km before looping back
down onto the beach.
Rangiputa Beach. Another unheralded beauty in the area is the
hamlet of Rangiputa and its beach. Pass the signed turn for Puheke and
continue a few kms to the road end “Marginal Strip” DoC reserve. Whoa,
not marginal at all…more like exceptional! At lower tides there’s a gorgeous
curve of sandy swim-friendly beach often sheltered from NE winds. Drive
to the road-end of the reserve and at lower tides you can walk the beach
rocks to some charming secluded coves. Well worth a look.

Karikari Beach from Puheke

Snow White’s
Dunes

DRIVING: On the Karikari Peninsula Rangiputa is signed 10 km

up Inland Rd., but the small signs can be hard to see—set your
odometer on SH10 and keep a sharp eye for the left turn near
some billboards and marine shops. Turn left and head 6km,
then turn right at signs for Puheke and go 4.5km gravel to the
road-end. The upper carpark is usually 2WD friendly, but walk
the road first to check.

17
 A9 MAITAI BAY
Far North
BEAUTY- KISSED TWIN BAYS
Walk: 2km one-way to end of Merita Beach

Google
Coords -34.829448 173.405768 OBSCUR-O-METER

Sitting on the Pohutukawa tree’s branch on the ridge between these twin
bays you’ll think that you’re nestled in the bounteous cleavage of Mother
Nature’s bosom. As I sit in this very tree and write this Frenzied entry, I
don’t wanna leave—it’s SO nice here! So, I’ll torture you with more puns…
the view is eye-candy Sweet As…M&Ms. The waves break in smiles. Just
like Campbell’s soup, this view is mmm, mmm good. Maitai and Merita…
mmm, mmm good!

Sit here:

See this See this

Viewpoint Pohutukawa

Maitai Bay Merita Beach

Overlooking pretty Maitai Beach sprawls a DOC campground that

swarms at holiday times with thousands of family campers. Don’t even think
of visiting here for Xmas/New Year’s. Any other time of year though there’s
plenty of room and few people. Families swim and sun all day long while
sailboats come and go. Maitai Beach might be the perfect curve of sand.
While Maitai Bay is a small simple curve of wondrous sand, Merita is a
lady of deeper intrigue. A long walk along her shore features jungle-gym
Pohutukawas, bouldery coves, and swim-to islands. It’s all public beach,
so it’s OK to walk all the way to the end (around the mid-beach saddle).
The intriguing walk all the way along Merita is about 2km one-way.
18
 Far North
Half-ass
photo

Middle of Merita Beach

Puheke Hill
Merita Beach Maitai Bay

The view track from the

Fig Tree Track at Merita’s end

Karikari Beach. Plenty of people who visit Maitai have no idea that
sweeping Karikari Bay and its infinity of white sand and blue water are just
a 20-minute walk or short drive directly over the western hill from Maitai
campground. Just past Maitai’s
road entrance a “no access” sign
is a bit confusing, but the dirt road
heading left leads 500m to a grassy
carpark. The sugar-white beach is
down the short track.

If the wind is blowing on one

side of this peninsula, simply head
to the other for calm swimming.
Yum.

DRIVING: On SH10,15km east of Awanui, turn north onto Inland

Rd at Tokerau/Whatuwhiwhi/Maitai signs and head 20km to Maitai,
the last few km unsealed.

19
 A10 FIG TREE LOOP TRACK
Far North
bEACH WALK AND HEADLAND LOOP
Walk: Easy 40 min (2.3km) beach walk, then
Mod. 60-70 min (3.5km) loop. 3 hrs. total
• Elevation trailhead: 0 to 158 meters
Google
Coords -34.829117 173.410856 OBSCUR-O-METER

EXCEPTIONAL! This unheralded, yet fabulous, track has recently

returned to its former glory because DoC made the stalwart effort to clear
the Gorse and shrub that overwhelmed this track a decade ago. Bravo DoC!

Amongst Northland’s standout collection of scenic walks, the Fig Tree

beach walk/headland loop combo stands out as unique. Rarely does a
walk take you along a show-stopper beach as well as including a bush
loop atop a view-packed headland. This walk, along with the Mahinepua
Peninsula (A14), define “bang-for-the-buck” Northland style.
In a nutshell, you walk from the Maitai Bay DoC camp along the entire
curve of Merita Beach, leaving the beach at the very end to ascend a
rough track to a former trig lookout…and then descend along the sea-view
ridge back to the beach, stopping frequently along the ridge to gawk at
the sights. Awesome! To add to the pleasure, the final cove at the end
of Merita is swim-friendly calm, even when winds have whipped Maitai
Bay into a froth of waves. C’mon, just guess how much Frenzy likes a
tranquil swim from a secluded beach around a small island after a sweaty
hour-long pleasure loop?
In case this adjective-overload hasn’t done the trick yet to get you
motivated…please imagine a view NW from the Fig Tree ridge where, over
and past the gracious twin curves of M & M bays, you’ll see Puheke Hill
presiding over all of white-sand Karikari Beach and blue-blue Rangaunu
Bay… and everything northwards up to the very North Cape of the island.
Whoa. To the south all the headland coastal glories to the finger of the
Mahinepua Peninsula and distant Cape Brett past the Cavalli Islands.
Superlative superlatives. Must-see Far North!
20
 Far North
Puheke Hill
Camp

Maitai
Merita

Fig Tree Ridge

Walk Note: in 2016 there were signs at Maitai indicating this loop
might be impassable. It wasn’t. Despite the minor landslide the loop is
still intact.
Begin along Merita Beach from Maitai camp. 20 minutes along you’ll
come to the first rocky point and its incredible Pohutukawa trees. Look
for the wee DoC-marked track around the rocky point, avoiding the private
property. Arriving at the beach’s end, look for the DoC markers for the Fig
Tree loop beside a small stream 300 meters before the beach ends. The
loop begins here and ends by coming down behind the trees at the very
end of the beach. Best to go counter-clockwise…up the stream first. The
track is a bit rough, but in about 20 minutes, after a couple of super-steep
bits, you’ll come to a signed junction. Go left here and up the final cursingly
steep hill to the ridgetop where you’ll soon see the forlorn remains of the
fallen trig (if DoC leaves them). Now comes ooh-la-la time as you traverse
the ridge…all downhill now back to the beach. And, thanks again to DoC
for clearing some shrubs to provide the exquisite views! Once back down
to the beach, of course strip off those sweaty clothes for a swim around
the island…before retracing your footprints along Merita Beach.

Looking north up the coast

DRIVING: Same as Maitai Bay, previous entry.

21
 A11 AHIPARA/SHIPWRECK BAY
Far North (Say: Ah-hee parra )

drive-to viewpoint/surf beach/dunes

Walk: Easy walk to viewpoint.
4km beach walk to dunes.

Google
Coords -35.179616 173.120662 OBSCUR-O-METER

Ahipara is a beautiful little beach settlement anchoring the southern

end of 90-Mile Beach. Gumdiggers had their boom years a century ago,
but these days Ahipara’s glory is surfing and beauty. Surfing fame arrived
in 1966 when Shipwreck Beach was featured in the legendary surf flick
“Endless Summer” (towards the end of the movie—minute 117—the boys
road-trip through the North Island. Worth seeing!).

Dune Hills

4km walk

Shipwreck Bay
Campground

Low-tide
route

The
Ahipara Viewpoint ship-
wreck
Note, the shipwreck of the bay’s namesake is the pipe-looking thing
sticking up out of the surf zone at mid-beach. It is the wheel shaft of the
steamer “Favourite” which sank here in 1870. Look for a plaque near the
beach entrance on a rock. Google it too.
Little-known is
a prime viewpoint
perched on the 200m
bluff that backs
Ahipara. This quasi-
developed viewpoint
90-Mile Beach was once a popular
hang-glider launch,
but now the road is far
too rugged for most
vehicles. You must
Ahipara
walk the “road” out
Ahipara Viewpoint to the cliff-edge view-
22
 spot now. The view is
Ahipara superb, sweeping from
Shipwrecks Shipwreck’s golden

Far North
dunes all the way up
90-Mile Beach

Shipwreck Bay Dunes.

From Shipwreck Bay a
Looking east from dunes
gorgeous beach route
leads to the far-off Reef
Point. Locals have improved the route with cement in the rocky low
spots…making it drivable at low-tide. Amazingly, a 4WD can manage the
rocks and wetsand…but beware, the wetsand ends suddenly at the giant
dunes and soft sand begins. I recommend leaving this “driving route” to
the local fishermen.
But, as a venturesome beach walk, this lil section of coast is hard to
beat!! And, if you time it with a rising tide (when the fishermen and surfers
leave), you may have this slice of beach heaven all to yourself. Here’s the
lowdown: high tide pinches off beach driving access at the point immediately
past the far end of Shipwreck Beach. But, it’s fairly easy to walk/slosh
around this point if the tide is mid-high and you’re in sandals. Once past
this first pinch point, the further coves are delightful walking. Things get
far more interesting 3km along this beach when the humungous Ahipara
dunes rise up over the coves. These dunes are popular on weekends with
ATV explorers, but most of the rest of the time they just wait in their sandy
glory for intrepid explorers
to climb up and give them Dune-top weirdness
a look. The steep slog up
the dune slope is tough, but
the run back down sure is
fun! Atop the dunes is an
otherworldly landscape
of petrified sand, petrified
Kauri gum, and petrified
wonder! Rarely-seen jaw-
drop beauty up here…don’t
tell Lonely Planet.

DRIVING: Cruise through Ahipara towards its south end on the

only road. Pass the last beach homes/baches and keep heading
south to the end of the bay. After a gully the road climbs a short
hill and then comes the unsigned fork where a right quickly
descends to Shipwreck Bay.
To go up to the viewpoint continue EXACTLY 2km past this
fork. At 2km look for a white-sand roadway angling off to the left
through a broken-down gate. Park where you can here and walk
the 7-10 minutes out to the view. The road does braid a bit, but
they all lead out to the edge. (Note, some dwellings have lately
been springing up along this viewpoint road.)

23
 A12 OMAHUTA KAURI STUMP
Far North (Say: Oh-ma-hoota Cow-ree)

kauri grove and world's biggest stump

Walk: Easy-ish short 30-minute loop walk

Google
Coords -35.234391 173.628382 OBSCUR-O-METER

OK, this entry is personal to me. I have

no idea if you are as fascinated with Kauri
as I am. If sky-scraping Kauri somehow
bore you, or your travel itinerary just doesn’t
have the time to venture too far off the
beaten path, then turn the page and hurry to
the other Northland wonders. But if you’re
like me, intrigued by these huge distinctive
Kauri trees…their felling, their dams, their
gum…then you’ll like this Omahuta Forest
sanctuary. Unlike the tourist hustle-bustle
at the Waipoua Kauris, virtually nobody
visits this majestic middle-of-nowhere Omahuta Kauri grove, featuring
probably the biggest Kauri stump anywhere in NZ.
In my first visits to NZ in ’06 and ’07 I drove circles around the North
Island becoming increasingly fascinated by Kauris and their sad demise.
From the Bay of Plenty to Tane Mahuta I wondered, “What happened to
the stumps…where are they??” When I saw the incredible historic Kauri
“hugeness” circles at the Matakohe Kauri Museum, I wondered even more.
I quizzed DOC rangers, but nobody
seemed to have a firm answer.
Many surmised that the stumps are
gone because gum diggers pulled
them to both look for gum and
to burn for firewood. Years later

#12 in
the world

#8 in
the
world

Carpark map
24
 the experts at Coromandel’s
Kauaeranga Forest confirmed

Far North
that story—after the trees
were felled the stumps were
often pulled and chopped up
for firewood, or sometimes
to sell to mining operations.
Kauri camps needed abundant
firewood, and thus the crowns
and stumps were fully chopped-
up and used.

At the Omahuta Forest Sanctuary,

I believe that you can see, walk on,
and measure the biggest Kauri
remnant left in the world! The biggest
stump is here, though it is cut pretty
close to the ground and you wouldn’t
recognize it as a stump unless it
was pointed out. But what a stump
it is…walk across it, measure it…lay
down on it and imagine the monster
Kauris of times past. This stump
measures nearly 2m wider than Tane
Mahuta! Some 20m away you can
see the crown of the tree just as it
fell. Imagine the legendary Ghost
Kauri, meters wider than even this
huge stump (portrayed at the Kauri
Museum—B10).
For a peaceful half-hour loop walk
through actual living Kauri giants of
Omahuta drive a few minutes past
the stump. This is a nice walk…no
tourists, just primeval forest. Skip
the Pukekohe track—it’s dull. Hokianga Kauri

DRIVING: On SH1, half way between Kawakawa and Kaitaia, you

need to find Mangamuka Bridge (the turn-off to Hokianga Harbor
ferry.) Just 1km south of Mangamuka Bridge is the signed turn
for Omahuta Forest. Turn and set your odometer here, then
head about 6km as the road turns to gravel. At the 6km mark
you need to turn right to stay on Omahuta Forest Rd—there is a
small sign. Head about 6km more on this slower winding gravel
road into the forest and keep a sharp eye out for a small right-
side pull-off carpark that may/may not have a sign indicating
“Stump”. If you get to a road-sign for “Kauri Sanctuary” you are
a few hundred meters past the stump. From the stump the road
continues another 3km to the road-end carpark for the Omahuta
kauri grove walk.
25
 A13 ST. PAUL’S ROCK
Far North (Say: Fahnga-row-a)

Whangaroa bay monolith

Tramp: Moderate, but steep, 20-min. track

Google
Coords -35.047252 173.750121 OBSCUR-O-METER

Heyhey, gotta love this monolithic

Sit
here protrusion rising 212m over Whangaroa
Harbour. This bare rock knob is the
eroded core of an ancient volcano.
That’s neat and all, but what’s neater
is the 20-minute track that ascends it
and the commanding view you’ll get for
that paltry effort. Since the access road
climbs 60m, the track up is a mere 150m
vertical, and the tramping is funfun since
the scurry up the final gully involves
chains and whips.
Topping out, the glory of the
panoramic view is epic! There are good
rocks to sit on and nothing blocking the
harbour’s 360° of green octopussy goodness. A low tide may let you see
the grid-like lines of an oyster farm in the waters below. All told, a unique
and non-touristy view for only a few minutes of huff n’ puffing.
If you’re cruising by on SH10 on the way to some other more
touristy “Northland
highlight,” stop
by here for a fun Whangaroa
Harbour
jaunt—I think you’ll
enjoy it. From SH10
the drive is only 10 Carpark
minutes, and you
could be up to the
top and down in
an hour…after that
you can hurry on
to wherever else
the mainstream
guidebooks tell you
is good.
Survey marker atop St. Paul’s Rock

DRIVING: On SH10, 10km north of Kaeo, turn at signs for

Whangaroa. Head 4.6km then left at signs for 2km into the small
village. Go past the hotel 400m and turn right at the sign for St
Paul’s Reserve and go up 1km to the road-end carpark (just past
the track sign.)

26
 A14 MAHINEPUA PENINSULA TRACK
(Say: Ma hee-nee poo-ah)

Far North
100% BEST OF NORTHLAND
Walk: Moderate 40-45 minutes (3km) one-way
• Elevation: Trig is only 60m above sea level, but the
up/downs on the track equal about 250m elev. gain
Google
Coords -34.99918 173.843550 OBSCUR-O-METER

Mahinepua Peninsula
is a slender and scalloped
finger of land jutting
eastwards into the blue
Pacific, kind of in the
Carpark middle of nowhere. With-
out understatement, the
Hidden swim undulating track out to
cove
the Mahinepua trig is
……The Best Scenic
Track in Northland!!
The peninsula sports a head-swiveling 360° of SPECTACULAR the entire
way out and back!! On one short track you’ll probably see more bays and
islands than most people visiting the Bay of Islands ever see. Few travelers
ever hear of this track. Go figure. Most all the tourist info presented by
the Bay of Islands is about how you can spend lots of money…not what
is Best to do or how to Best spend your limited time and money. Ok, so
now you’ve heard of Mahinepua, put it on your must-see list.
Walk The track features plenty of sweaty ups and downs before
arriving at the panoramic trig viewpoint. There’s even a little bonus
loop at the end. A third of the
way to the trig the track drops
down to a pair of delightful
swimming/sunbathing coves,
so you may want to pack some
drinks, towels, and bikinis to
stash at these secluded coves
for some Shangri-La time on
your walk back out. Pray for a
sunny day. Wow, I LOVE this lil
undiscovered gem! Looking northwest

DRIVING: On SH10 at the stop-sign bridge junction 3km north of

Kaeo, head towards Whangaroa Town. Go 4km then turn right
onto Wainui Rd. Set your odometer, as Mahinepua can be easy
to miss. Head towards Tauranga Bay but stay on Wainui Rd for
13km, then turn left onto signed Mahinepua Rd which dead-ends
at the bay in just 1km.
You can also come north from Matauri Bay, Mahinepua being
the next bay north of Wainui Bay.

27
 Northland – WEST
B

B1 Hokianga Harbour
B2 Hokianga’s Hidden Sands
B3 Waiotemarama Bush Walk
B4 Waipoua Forest Kauris
B5 Trounson Kiwi & Kauri Reserve
B6 Kai-Iwi Lakes
B7 Maunganui Bluff Track
B8 Baylys Beach
B9 Tokatoka Peak
B10 The Kauri Museum

28
NORTHLAND – WEST REGION
For most travelers the draw of the NW coast is that it facilitates
a driving-route loop of the entire northern part of the North Island.
This is a huge bonus, as it makes planning a week or more up in
Northland easy-peasy. Truth-be-told, the East Coast on this route
does feature more variety and interest….but…but…but the monster B
Kauri trees of the Waipoua Forest (and their easy, all-ages/fitness
accessibility) are definitely unique in both NZ and the world! Com-
bine a look at some giant virgin Kauris with a chance to spot a kiwi
bird on a night-time walking tour (at Trounson Park) and you’ve got
a memorable jaunt on the West Coast even if you hurry through the
rest of the area. Another nice thing about the West Coast portion
of a loop drive is that it feels like slow, old-time rural New Zealand.
No rushing Aucklanders, few trucks, little commercial traffic…..just
lots of small NZ villages intertwined with sublime rural NZ beauty.

Don’t Miss:
Waipoua Kauri trees, especially Yakas Kauri (B4)
Opo the Dolphin video at Opononi i-Site/museum (B1)
Night kiwi-spotting walk at Trounson (B5)
Walk from Kai-Iwi Lakes to coast (B6)
Hokianga’s Hidden Sands (B2)

29
 B1 HOKIANGA HARBOUR
(Say: Hoe-kee ahn-ga)

super- scenic harbour

Walk: Various short walks

• Bring: newspaper tide chart

Northland W

Google
Coords -35.537992 173.383112 OBSCUR-O-METER

Omapere and Opononi, the twin towns bordering Hokianga Harbour’s

entrance, share a wealth of natural gifts. Most visitors here seem content
to soak in the ambience of golden dunes, azure water and green hillsides.
But, if thrills are your game, don’t miss the Hokianga Express shuttle boat
over to the dunes for a try at dune-surfing. Either way “The Hokianga” is
sure to please.

Opononi
Omapere

Highway Viewpoint

Things around here are pretty quiet now, but it wasn’t always so. Visit
the Opononi I-Site (or soon-to-be Omapere Museum) to view the videos
starring “Opo”, the World-Famous people-friendly dolphin who captured
the country’s heart the summer of 1956. Don’t miss these rare videos—the
footage of the playful dolphin celebrating a carefree life in an uncomplicated
era will tug at your heartstrings.
Arai Te Uru Signal Point. This is the area’s must-must see. Above
Omapere take the Scenic Lookout Rd to the road-end carpark and walk the
road and path to the former signal-station point. Magnificent sea, dunes,

30
 and harbour views
await!! For the more
venturesome, be sure
to make the hour-long
loop down and around
the point at the water’s
edge. Anytime except

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full high tide is OK, but
low tide is way, way
better. Going clockwise
is best—down to the
ocean beach first.
Arai Te Uru’s mermaid pools
Heading towards
the point, the rocks,
channels, and pools create an exceptional labyrinth. Some tide pools are
so deeply emerald and sun-warmed that you’ll probably find mermaids
basking (c’mon girlfriends, you be the mermaids!) Continuing around into
the harbour mouth, at the first beach you’ll find a marked staircase track
back up.
Koutu Boulders. GPS: -35.468260 173.419134. The Koutu Boulders are
a bunch of spherical boulders lining the shore, somewhat reminiscent of
the South Island’s Moeraki boulders. At low-tide a 10-15 minute stroll will
lead to the first of these oddities, plus you can continue another 30 minutes
or so to find more and larger ones. At high tide the harbour beach here is
underwater and inaccessible. These boulders aren’t as “wow” as Moeraki’s,
but the quiet walk is serene and the peculiar geology will pique your interest.
Offshore at Koutu is the sad island where Opo was found dead.

Harbour’s
North dunes

Koutu’s Moeraki-like
Boulders

DRIVING: For Koutu boulders, from Opononi head north on SH12

for 4.5km then turn left on Koutu Loop Rd. Go 3.5km then left
on Waione Rd. In 200 meters veer left and park near the shore.
Walk to the water then head right.

31
 B2 HOKIANGA’S HIDDEN SANDS
(Say: Hoe-kee ahn-ga)
sECLUDED DREAM BEACH
Walk: Moderate 3km one-way (40-45 min)
• Best: half-tide or lower
• water
Bring: good shoes for the walk and sandals/
shoes for tidal explorations
Northland W

Google
Coords -35.538134 173.372711 OBSCUR-O-METER

Hidden along the coast a bit south of the mouth of Hokianga Harbour is
a secluded magnificence of a beach. To access this splendid sandy stretch
of solitude you’ll need to walk south from the Arai-te-Uru carpark on the
rarely-used Waimamuku Coastal Track. The track itself is plenty scenic
as it contours the top of precipitous headlands before descending down
onto the wonder-beach. Expect excellent views of ocean/dunes/hidden
coves the entire 3km walk. The final view on the track is the entire mile-
long beach stretching southwards, all pocked with curious tidal shelves,
coves and nooks. This is definitely an explorer’s beach.
Once the track descends to the sands you’ll find plenty to pique
your curiosity. The north wall has an intriguing low-tide sea cave. The
too-many-to-count tidal shelves are rife with tide pools and even some
sandy-bottomed sun-warmed mermaid baths. In the middle of the beach
you’ll find a headland islet surrounded by deep emerald channels between
the tidal shelves. Frenzied fun is leaping into the channels from the rock
shelves and swimming back to the shore! Also at mid-beach is a shallow
lagoon which, on hot summer days, heats up and spills a HOT stream over
the sands to the ocean. Have a lie down in the stream—it’s like basking

Warm stream Swim coves

Cave
Hidden
Beach

32
 Inside the cave in a flowing hot tub. Past the
mid-beach islet the going gets
trickier. Lower tides are a must
to splash across some tidal
channels in order to access
the surprises on the southern
half of the beach. Don’t linger

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southwards if the tide is rising,
but if your curiosity does get
the best of you and the tide
does catch you out, then you
could always hump over the
headland on the way back
north to stay safe.
If you like beaches
crowded with families, jet-
skies, and volleyball nets, then
this hidden Hokianga isn’t for
you. If you like solitude and
splendor and exploration,
then it is. “Hokianga” roughly
translates to “the place of returning”, and you can be sure this is the place
Frenzy returns to in the Hokianga.

Hike From Arai-te-Uru carpark walk out towards Signal Point but
just before the end divert left down the signed Waimamuku Coastal Track.
This track drops to the beach then steeply gains the next headland…then
trundles up and down the views-packed headland for the next 2km before
dropping you down to the beach.

Cove channels

DRIVING: Same as Arai-te-Uru in previous entry.

33
 B3 WAIOTEMARAMA BUSH WALK
(Say: Why-oh-tee-mar-a-mah)

waterfall and kauri grove

Tramp: Easy walk to waterfall or
moderate 70-minute 7km semi-loop
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Google
Coords -35.533607 173.437970 OBSCUR-O-METER

On SH12 between
Waipoua Giant Kauris and
Hokianga Harbour you might
see the less-than-inspiring
sign “Waiotemarama Bush
Walk” next to the funky
Labyrinth Wood Works sign.
Go see, as both are quite
worth a look. Drive 3km up the gravel road and park at the Labyrinth and
go in and meet the owner, the actual-size giant, Louie. You’ll be glad you
made the effort when you get a full fun dose of Louis’ quirky Kiwi charm.
You’ll also get to see his staggering collection of puzzles while he tasks
you to try a few frustrating ones…all while trying out his clever magic tricks
on you…fun fun fun!

Explore
there

Swim here
34
 After a dose of
Louis, set off for an
easyish tramp. The
Waiotemarama Track
is an unheralded mild
tramping track which
surprisingly packs

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plenty of bang for the
buck. Head first to the
waterfall, then hop the
stream and up some
steps to the “#7 loop”,
which is a short loop
track through a damn
impressive grove of
Kauris. These are no Upper Kauri Loop
mere rickers (juvenile
Kauri)—nope, these are big virgin ones! In a nutshell, for a fit tramper, this
is a 70-minute total loop (skipping the longer “trig” option.) As LouieLouie
would say, “we gotta go now!”
One word of advice…
don’t do this track fresh
off of seeing Tane Mahuta
and friends—as nothing
on Earth will impress after
seeing Tane and Te Matua
Ngahere. But here’s an
idea: after a day of soaking
up Hokianga beauty (or
a cloudy day), head to
Waiotemarama with a six-
pack of weak-ass Kiwi lager
and stash them at the falls.
Have a go on the upper
Kauri loop (a happy hour)
or explore up the stream a
bit, then head back down
to the waterfall for a rinsing
dip while embarking on a
new Happy Hour with your
six-pack of friends.

DRIVING: Two ways to get here: from the south, about 20km north
of Tane Mahuta, look for signs (about 5km past Waimamaku) for
Waiotemarama Gorge Rd. Turn right and go 3km to the Labyrinth.
If you’re already in Opononi, just head north and in 2km you’ll
see Waiotemarama Gorge Rd and a sign for the bush walk . From
there it’s 6.5km of gravel road to the Labyrinth—this route is way
faster than heading south over Omapere hill.

35
 B4 WAIPOUA FOREST KAURIS
(Say: Why-poe-ah)

tane mahuta and friends

Walk: Easy walks from 2 mins to 30 mins
Northland W

Google
Coords -35.607734 173.535219 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Waipoua Forest contains the largest

stand of Kauri on the island, and thus…in
the world! The Coromandel had bigger trees
in the past (see Kauri museum), but sadly,
only the Waipoua Forest now contains vast acres of the dark Jurassic
forest that once blanketed much of the North Island. Waipoua, home of
the famed Tane Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere trees, is surprisingly quick
and easy to visit. You’ve actually got limited options because most of the
forest is dense trackless forest… unriddled by logging roads, untouched
by the bushmen’s axe.

There are 3 main places to

visit in the forest:
Rata
u Waipoua Forest HQ. vine
Home to a visitor center, picnic
areas, campground, cabins,
trailheads, and swimming
holes. Neat historic photos in
the VisCtr. The HQ is a fine
place to rent a cabin or camp,
but when I’m in the area I’d
rather camp at Trounson to try
to spot a nighttime kiwi (B4).
u Kauri Walks. (About 7km
north of HQ.) The “Kauri
Walks” carpark is the forest’s
carpark hub for visitors who
crave more than Tane’s 100-
step photo-op. There are two Te Matua Ngahere viewpoint (2006)
36
main walks here—either Te Matua
Ngahere or Yakas.
Te Matua Ngahere: A must-
must-must see!! This head-tilting eyes-
lifting 16-minute stroll to see the oldest
‘n’ fattest of them all is a must-must-
must! This walk traverses the finest

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stand of Kauri remaining in the universe.
Nuff said. Of special interest is the fact
that a large portion of Te Matua crown
fell off in 2007, taking the upper portion
of the thick rata vine with it. This vine was apparent when Te Matua was
first photo’d in the 1800s, but now the iconic vine’s days are numbered.
Look how it hangs unsupported—it won’t last too much longer!
Yakas Kauri: My favorite Kauri, no
question, is Yakas. From the carpark it’s
an easy 30-minute walk (a misleading sign
might still say the track is CLOSED, but the
track is closed PAST Yakas, not TO Yakas.)
Yakas is my favorite because You Can
Touch It! No barbed wire fence here keeping
you away—yay, spread your arms wide and
hug a Kauri! Finally you can get a photo that
puts the immense Kauri width in perspective.
You may have it all to yourself—I’d bet only
one person heads to Yakas for every fifty seeing Ngahere. Here’s some
Nz Frenzy perspective: sit and lean against Yakas…draw a picture, have
a picnic, whatever…ponder largeness. Think on the notion that if you’re
not planning a trip to California’s Sequoias, nor have a pet Blue Whale…
then Yakas is probably the biggest living thing that you’ll EVER touch.
Wow…wow.
u Tane Mahuta. About 2km north of Kauri Walks awaits the largest living
Kauri. Tane Mahuta, the lord of the forest, is a fat tourist’s dream—mere
steps from the highway. Everyone can and does manage the short stroll
to the two viewing areas where everyone will take the same exact photos.
As cheesy as this sounds, it isn’t, as Tane never fails to impress. DOC
commendably keeps the view clear, thus making Tane the only giant Kauri
that you can stand back and see the entire tree in its glory.
Hug Yakas,
love Yakas

DRIVING: The Waipoua HQ is well-signed just a few km in from

the south end of the forest, about 50km north of Dargaville. Tane
Mahuta is clearly signed 20km south of Hokianga.

37
 B5 TROUNSON KIWI & KAURI RESERVE
SPOT A KIWI BIRD IN THE WILD
Walk: Easy 45-minute loop

• Bring: torches/headlamps, red cellophane

Northland W

Google
Coords -35.719884 173.649168 OBSCUR-O-METER

Trounson showcases NZ’s two special

Ks—Kiwis and Kauris. This swath of forest
is a “mainland island,” meaning that it is an
oasis of old-growth Kauri surrounded by a
“sea” of denuded pastureland.
Trounson’s Kauris are glorious,
especially so if you’re coming up from
Auckland and have yet to see the Waipoua
Kauris. Definitely “do” the Kauris from south
to north if you have the chance—this way
each larger Kauri will continue to awe you
right up to Tane’s triumphance. On the other
hand, if you’ve just seen Tane Mahuta, then
Trounson’s trees won’t be as gape worthy.
What will make you gape is spotting a Wild Kiwi…by yourself, at
night. My first time there, yup, 10 minutes along the track, there’s a kiwi
standing in the middle of the track, big as a chicken, looking straight up at
me. Blew me away!! Trounson is a huge success story for both Kiwis and
DOC…Hooray. DOC has waged an ongoing decades-old battle against
a marauding horde of Kiwi-
killing exotic predators. Feral
cats, dogs, possums, weasels,
stoats, and ferrets have all
been trapped and poisoned
enough to mostly control their
predations, fostering a Kiwi
boom of more than 200 birds.
At night here’s your chance to see the wild Kiwi, or at least hear their
eerie calls (probably your 2nd best chance on the island…see entry
C1). Walk the Trounson loop with a torch, ears perked and listening for
rustling…whoa, you’ll freeze when the forest echoes with a chilling Kiwi
call “eeeeeeet eeeeet eeeet eeet eet”. Sometimes lucky people see one,
other times none—there are no tricks to know, just let luck and persistence
be your guides.
Basically, you’ve gotta camp to see a Kiwi, and near Trounson you’ve
got two options. The first is the basic Trounson DOC campground at the
park with kitchen, toilets, showers, and heaps of displayed info…all located
at a Kiwi/Kauri trailhead. You can spend all night lookin’ for Kiwi if you want.
The other option is the superb Kauri Coast Top 10 Holiday Park which is
5km south of Trounson. This full-service campground is deservedly super-
popular. The staff there lead nighttime Kiwi-walks (about $25pp) every
38
night at Trounson—
they’ll shuttle you and
provide torches and
expertise from years of
such walks. Call ahead
to reserve a spot, as
they sell out—0800-

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807-200.

The planked Kauri walk

DOC
camp
signage

DRIVING: From the south, on SH12, just north of Kaihu turn right
onto Trounson Rd at signs for both Holiday Park and Trounson.
The Top 10 camp is in 2.5km and Trounson is 5km further.
From the north on SH12, 20km south of Waipoua HQ, look
for signs and turn left onto signed Kaitui Rd (gravel) and follow
it 9km to Trounson.

39
 B6 KAI-IWI LAKES
(Say: Kai-ee-wee)

scenic, fun lakes

Walk: Easy lakeshore track, or mod 25-min
(2km) one-way to beach
Northland W

Google
Coords -35.814310 173.641617 OBSCUR-O-METER

Pines Promenade The crystal-clarity and

Campground Campground
white-sand beaches of the
Kai-Iwi Lakes are remarkably
Caribbean-esque. The three
Lakeshore Lake Taharoa
lakes here are “dune” lakes—
Track enclosed within petrified dunes
2km in from the Tasman Sea,
Lake
Waikare no in-flow or outflow. The
biggest lake, Taharoa, is the
most user-friendly. Come to
play—camp, swim, fish, boat, float, waterski, windsurf, kayak, snorkel…
everything goes! Expect packed campgrounds near Xmas and New Years,
but otherwise the lakes are only crowded on weekends.
From either of the two Lake Boat
Taharoa campgrounds you can anchoring
access the shoreline loop track
which circles the lake. Go for an
exploratory walk and surely you’ll
find a little sandy cove to have all
People playing
to yourself…or walk to the north
end of the lake and climb over the hill to visit Lake Waikare. Lake Waikare,
also just a short drive past Taharoa, is popular on weekends with water-skiers,
but on weekdays a short shoreline walk will reveal swimmable solitude.
Walk A little-known “secret” is the marked track over to the Tasman
Sea which begins at a sign on the road near Lake Waikare and crosses the
fenced pastures heading west to the beach. The 25-minute walk has stiles
aplenty…but once on the beach you’ll be the one who’s stylin’! Descending
the track’s final steps your smile will grow wider—wow, a deserted beach
Water-skiing backed by colorful sandstone with a
4m waterfall cascading into a sandy
grotto. Oh Joy…doff your clothing,
Swim roll in the sand, splash in the waves,
Lake then kiss your sweetie under the
Waikare
rinsing waterfall before traipsing
back overland to the Kai-Iwi Lakes!

DRIVING: On SH12, 25km north of Dargaville, turn left at the

signed access road and go 11km to the lakes. Lake Taharoa and
its two campgrounds comes first, while a short drive farther is
Lake Waikare and the signed track to the beach.

40
 B7 MAUNGANUI BLUFF TRACK
(Say: Monga-new-ee)

headland bluff above endless beach

Tramp: Mod/diff 60-80 min (4km) one-way to top
• Elevation trailhead: 0
• Elevation top: 380m

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Google
Coords -35.769644 173.574011 OBSCUR-O-METER

Maunganui Bluff is the

forested headland that marks
the northern end of 25km-
long Ripiro (Baylys) Beach.
Bluff track A tramping track leaves from
the cluster of Aranga seaside
baches at the base of the bluff
and winds its way to the very
Maunganui Bluff
top. From the grassy clearing
atop the bluff the sunny-day
views are endless. To the south Ripiro Beach stretches into an infinity of
hazy sea spray. Inland from the coast you’ll see the Kai-Iwi Lakes. The view
northwards shows the Waipoua Forest coastline scalloped with headlands
and coves. Make sure to bring a picnic, binoculars, and an area map.
There are three ways to access the Maunganui Bluff Track. The easiest
is to find signed Aranga Rd on SH12 (between Waipoua Forest and Kaihu)
and follow it 7km to its end at the beach where the signed track begins).
Secondly, you could make a fabulous day out of the excursion by
walking all the way from Kai-Iwi Lakes (B6). From Taharoa Lake it’ll take
about 1.5 hours to get to the base of the bluff, then another hour to climb
it—thus at least a 6-hour round-trip. Wow…from lakes to beach to bluff to
beach waterfall, then back to lake…wow!
The third, and NOT recommended way, is to drive 27km north on Ripiro
Beach from Baylys Beach, park on the wet sand, climb the bluff and then
drive back out…all before the tide rises and cuts you off. I’ve done this,
but it’s more nerve-wracking than enjoyable because of tight tide timing.
Tramp This climb
isn’t too tough by NZ Kai-Iwi
tramping standards… Lakes
just a few rocky sections Waterfall
and steeps, but no
root-hold scrambling. Track
Exquisite views on the
way up give you good
pause to catch your
breath. The top bit
follows markers up a
fenceline then up the
final road bit to the tip-
top viewpoint clearing. View south

41
 B8 BAYLYS BEACH
DRIVE ON SCENIC BEACH

• Bring: tide chart, shovel, wood planks

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Google
Coords -35.950772 173.741094 OBSCUR-O-METER

Baylys Beach is the small bach community that provides the easiest
access to the long beach stretching 100km from Kaipara Harbour to
Maunganui Bluff. This is the most exceptional 2WD drivable beach in the
country! It’s better than 90-Mile Beach because of the colorful sandstone
cliffs that line its length, scattered small waterfalls, and the dunes/bluffs that
punctuate each end. At Baylys Beach, unlike 90-Mile Beach, the scenery
is stunning out both side windows!
Driving on NZ beaches is for the most part prohibited by rental car/van
companies, so if that’s you, then skip a drive on Baylys and think instead
about walking to the beach from the nearby Kai-Iwi Lakes (B6).
For folks who want to drive this excellent beach for the first time,
the most important thing to know is that the drive south from Baylys to
Glinks Gully is a lot easier with a lot less obstacles. The drive northwards
often features interesting sandstone scattered all over the beach, but
sometimes these sandstone outcrops completely block 2WD cars. The
drive southwards is generally easy, whereas the northwards driving should
be left to experienced beach drivers.

Waterfall
shower

Hey look, original

Frenzy van ’06-’07

Beach south of Baylys

42
 Northland W
2nd Frenzy van
Beers
2009-2015

Parked/camped on wetsand stream terrace

Here’s a rundown for explorers:

u 2WD access is easy at both Baylys and Glinks Gully
u The beach south from Baylys is drivable two hours past high tide until
two hours before the next high tide (an 8-hour window). The drive north
should only be attempted within two hours of low tide (4-hour window).
u Glinks Gully is 20km south of Baylys via the beach. It has a bunch of
baches and a steep paved ramp onto the wetsand. It’s a good destination
for a first-time beach driver. Glinks has a great, cheap beach-overlook
campground.
u Heading north from Baylys, at the 21km mark you’ll find the slim 4m
waterfall that signals the hard-to-find track that heads to Kai-Iwi Lakes (B6).
At 27km north of Baylys you’ll dead-end into Maunganui Bluff, where only
super-high clearance vehicles might exit onto Aranga Rd.

Maunganui Bluff
in distance

Rock obstacles

North on Baylys

DRIVING: The signed turn for Baylys Beach is just 3km north
of Dargaville, then 7km west. The one road leads down onto the
beach on hard wet packed sand. Lots of cars and RVs drive out
onto this easy section for at least a little look-around.
43
 B9 TOKATOKA PEAK
A PECULIAR PEAK
Walk: Difficult short 10-15 minute tramp

• Elevation top: 156m

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Google
Coords -36.058469 173.977174 OBSCUR-O-METER

Tokatoka Peak, the 10-minute track

spiky remnant of an ancient
volcano, decorates the
flat, feature-deprived
landscape north of Kaipara
Harbor. Heading north
you can see Tokatoka’s
pointy protrusion soon
after leaving the Kauri
Museum. Heading south
from Dargaville it looks like
Mother Nature is giving you
the finger. Either way you
can’t miss it once you’re near. There’s a “steep-as” track to the top which
is basically a 10-15 minute dirt staircase—about 420 steps according
to a local stoner. Don’t go if it’s
wet—as it’ll be more slippery than
a politician’s palm. The view from
Carpark the top is worth the effort—Bream
headlands to the east, Glinks Gully
to the west, Maunganui Bluff to the
north, and the always-brown Kaipara
River at your feet.
Rock
staircase

Climbing
Tokatoka

DRIVING: From the south on SH12 look for Tokatoka Rd and

Tokatoka Tavern about 10km north of Ruawai, just after the road
skirts around a narrow squeeze over the river.
From the north, it’s 17km south of Dargaville. Either way, turn
at the tavern and go 1km to the signed carpark.

44
 B10 THE KAURI MUSEUM
FANTASTIC MUSEUM
• Open: 9 am to 5 pm
• Cost: $25pp, less for kids

Northland W
Google
Coords -36.129470 174.185183 OBSCUR-O-METER

As far as commercialized
attractions go, this museum
exceeds its low-key hype.
This museum is outstanding!
The rape and pillage per-
petrated upon the Kauri
forests in the 1800s is a
fascinating, if sad, tale…and
the museum does a fantastic
job bringing to life the extreme hardship of the logging and gum digging
eras. There are HUGE Kauri logs and cross-sections, extensive photo
displays, an entire room
Tane of functioning saws and
Mahuta
other contraptions. The
Oh
my! basement Kauri gum
display is both beautiful
and bizarre. The wall
display depicting the
relative girths of the
Biggest Kauris Ever
is superb—it makes
Tane Mahuta seem like
Historic Kauri girths a babe!
My personal preference would
be to visit here after seeing some
native Kauris and reading some
history and such. This museum
then fills-in all the holes in your
Kauri perspective and answers
questions that have come to mind
while touring the Northland Kauri
area. If you arrive here without
first witnessing the majestic Kauri
forests to the north, I don’t think Kauri Gum displays
you’ll enjoy this museum to its full potential. Year after year this museum
gets high ranks from all kinds of visitors—it is worth a lengthy stop.

DRIVING: The museum is located in Matakohe, almost in the

middle of nowhere…but really between Brynderwyn and Dargaville
on SH2. Signs point the way from either direction.
45
 Northland – EAST
C

C1 Aroha Island Kiwi Preserve

C2 Rainbow Falls
C3 Ngawha Hot Springs
C4 Paihia
C5 Russell
C6 Elliot Bay
C7 Whangaruru North Head
C8 Tutukaka Coast
C9 Mermaid Pool of Matapouri
C10 Tane Moana
C11 Abbey Caves
C12 Whangarei Falls/Kauri Walkway
C13 Mt. Manaia Track
C14 Mt. Aubrey/Reotahi Shoreline Loop
C15 Kauri Mountain Track & Beach
C16 Smugglers Cove-Busby Head Lp Trk
C17 Bream Headland Loop Track
C18 Waipu Cave
C19 Piroa Falls
C20 Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway
C21 Te Arai Point
46
NORTHLAND – EAST REGION
Heading north out of Auckland it takes about 60km for the traffic
hubbub of suburbia to ebb and the sunny carefree vibe of the “win-
terless north” to flood into your wellbeing. Most every Aucklander
loves this coast and everyone has a secret cove that they’d prob-
ably tell you about if asked…but luckily for travelers most every
Aucklander also has a job, so all the wonders of the NE coast don’t
get overwhelmed except at Xmas/NYE time.
Travelers flock to the Bay of Islands/Paihia like moths to a flame.

C
Paihia has turned itself into a tourism juggernaut with motels, restau-
rants, backpackers and all kinds of tour-booking spots around every
corner of this small town. Every NZ bus-tour company dislodges
hordes of young backpackers upon Paihia…all these “kids” bent
on having a great time while also swimming with dolphins, bussing
to 90-Mile Beach, jet-boating to Hole-in-the-Rock, etc. Expect lots
of hangovers decorating Paihia’s unimpressive beach front most
every morning. Personally, I have nothing nice to say about Paihia,
and I’ve yet to meet a Kiwi who says he/she likes Paihia either.
Does this sound like I don’t like the NE coast? Not true…I LOVE
the NE coast…I just don’t like Paihia and all its hubbub and costly
tours and “adventures”. What I love is either on the way to Paihia...
or just past it. For a do-it-yourself traveler, there’s no need to focus
on Paihia/Bay of Islands. Heading north from AKL make sure to
stop in Whangarei and make the gorgeous-gorgeous drive out to
its Ocean Beach…or make a loop through the Tutukaka Coast.
Both areas are 100% beauty and almost no tourists, as every
tourist is hustling to get to Paihia to enjoy its tourism hustle. If you
venture to drive to Russell via Whangaruru and Elliot’s Bay you’ll
have seen what the soul-soothing Bay of Islands was like before
the S.S. Tourism came ashore.
Other than bays and coves and beaches and islands…don’t
overlook the chance to see/photograph glowworms at either Waipu
or Abbey caves. There’s nowhere on either island that’s better to
try to take some glowworm photos than in Waipu Cave, as cam-
eras aren’t allowed most anywhere at Waitomo. And, if a unique
kiwi experience is what you seek, then seeing a kiwi bird at night
at Aroha Island is as unique as it gets. Ngawha Hot Springs are
unique too, in their own uber-kiwi way!
I LOVE this coast!!

Don’t Miss:
Waipu Cave (C18)
Mt. Aubrey/Smugglers loops (C14-C16)
Elliot/Whangaruru/Russell drive (C6-C7)
Mermaid Pool/Whale Bay (C9)
Aroha Island kiwi-spotting (C1)
Cave behind Rainbow Falls (C2)
Ngawha on a rainy day (C3)
47
 C1 AROHA ISLAND KIWI PRESERVE
(Say: Arrow-ha)

spot a wild kiwi

Walk: Easy self-guided night walks

• Bring: headlamp, camp gear

Google
Coords -35.191140 174.003058 OBSCUR-O-METER

The “real” way to see a wild Kiwi bird is

Lodge and
Bunkhouse
at night in its natural habitat. People see the
400
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birds in captivity, but it is the rare few who

meters
have seen one in the “wild” at night. The sad
fact is that few people know Aroha Island
Ecologic Preserve exists, even though it
Track represents NZ’s best and easiest chance to
see a wild Kiwi.
Camp- To spot a kiwi you’ve got to stay for the
ground
night on the island. Accommodations include
a lodge, cottage, and bunkhouse. Camping
is about $18pp with hot showers/kitchen. Go
to www.ArohaIsland.co.nz for details. The
Center sometimes hosts guided nighttime
Kiwi tours, but you can also self-tour the island’s lakeshore path by
headlamp-light if you’d like. Come nightfall, wait a couple of hours and get
your headlamp ready with some red cellophane
(provided by the Center). Leave your camera at
camp (I had permission to try to take a photo for
this guide, but I was warned that if a flash goes
off, all the Kiwis disappear. Sure enough, I got the
photo, but all the Kiwis and their calls vanished Wild Kiwi!
for the rest of the night.) You don’t need a photo…if/when you see a kiwi
you’ll never forget! The caretakers say the chance of seeing a kiwi runs
about 50%, especially if you patiently walk the track late at night. Walk
super-slowly…listen for the eerie “eeet-eeet-eeet” calls…stop at any rustle
and scratching you hear in the bush and
hope a kiwi comes your way…EXCITING!
Even if you don’t actually see a kiwi, hearing
their spooky kiwi-calls is absolutely riveting.
The Center also has hire kayaks available
Hire if you’d like to paddle-tour the immediate
kayaks Kerikeri inlet shoreline before nightfall.

DRIVING: On SH10, north of Kerikeri about 8km, look for Kapiro Rd

(north of Waipapa Rd). Turn eastward and take Kapiro Rd 5km east
to Redcliffs Rd (with Aroha Island signage). Go left onto Redcliffs
Rd and follow signs 7km to Rangitane Rd, then turn right for 2km
more to the signed entrance road to the island. After 5pm the
gate may be closed, but if you are coming to camp, just proceed
through the gate to the campground past the Lodge/VisCtr.

48
 C2 RAINBOW FALLS
waterfall with hidden cave
Walk: Easy 5-15 minute walk top-to-bottom
Difficult rocky wet scramble to cave
• Bring: water shoes, swimsuit, frisbee
Google
Coords -35.214281 173.943982 OBSCUR-O-METER

View platform Rainbow Falls has everything I

like in a waterfall. It’s a high, natural,

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beautiful falls with good summer flow, no
commercialization…and it beckons the
adventurous. Rainbow Falls is everything
Paihia’s poor Haruru Falls isn’t. From the
top platform you can capture the namesake
rainbow if the sun’s right, and then it’s time
for the short track down to the pool. Sitting
on the bench and watching the flow…I know
you’re curious about the cave behind the
falls. Yup, get the water shoes…we’re going.
It’s super slippery to get behind the falls, but
hell yeah it’s totally worth it! A vast cavern
of 100% green moss awaits—big enough
Wow, look at that cave!
to play Frisbee in! Adventurous souls who
aren’t afraid of getting a wet kiss from Mother Nature can make a loop
scurrying/crawling/rock-hopping around and out the other side of the cave.
Eager swimmers on lower-flow summer days can even swim across the
pool and climb through the waterfall curtain up into the cave.
99.9% of visitors just come to take a picture…but you’ve got NZ Frenzy.
Bring the swimsuit, bring the
water shoes—behind the waterfall
is the real New Zealand!!
Inside the cave

Green

Green
Green

DRIVING: From SH10, head 6km north of Kerikeri Rd then turn

right on signed Waipapa Rd. Go 2km and look sharp for poorly-
signed Rainbow Falls Rd on the right. Turn and go 700m to the
signed carpark.
If you are already in Kerikeri, then take the bypass road
northwards that is just past (east of) the town’s main business
strip. Follow it to the next roundabout at Waipapa Rd and go left,
then 1km to Rainbow Falls Rd.

49
 C3 NGAWHA HOT SPRINGS
(Say: Nah-fa)

back-to-basics mineral water soaking

• Bring: swimsuit, sense of playful adventure

Google
Coords -35.406725 173.85868 OBSCUR-O-METER

Ngawha Hot Springs are really

two different hot spring “resorts”
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immediately next to one another—

Waiariki and Ginns. The two operations
are at once very similar, yet also very
different. The similarities are that
each features a number of different
old-time-style wood-lined soaking
tubs filled with highly mineralized and
strangely-colored natural thermal
water. Nothing fancy here, as these
two “resorts” are a throwback to the 1800s when people expected a
therapeutic soak, not fancy pools, waterslides, fountains, Jacuzzi jets and
all that. Nope, both are ancient-looking and no-frills to say the least. If you
come expecting some modern niceties, then you’ll be disappointed by the
drab vibe at these places. But if you expect a back-to-basics meditative
100% authentic mineral experience…then you’ll enjoy a visit to Ngawha.
On a hot sunny summer day,
skip Ngawha….but if it’s cold or grey
when you’re in the area…come and
enjoy a quintessentially old-time Kiwi
experience.
Ginn’s at Ngawha. $5pp, $12pp
to camp. Ginn’s is the smaller “resort”.
Think bare-bones concrete deck with 8
wood-lined tubs set into it, all surrounded
by a fence. Ginn’s offers showers, where Waiariki doesn’t. Ginns also has
camping, so if you stay for the night, the day-use people have to leave at
9pm…but campers can use the pools all night—very nice!!
Waiariki Ngawha. $4pp day-use only, 9am-9pm 7 days. Operated
by a Maori Trust. This no-frills operation is at times a bit comical. For
“landscaping” expect something like walkways lined with embedded
soda-bottle tops. Waiariki has a bountiful assortment of oddly-named and
oddlier-colored soaking pools (yes, oddlier!). Think Sanford & Son meets
thermal resort. Each thermal pool, bubbling with obvious mineralized
enthusiasm, will surely cure your ailments…but if no miracle cure ensues,
then at least your skin and swimsuit will smell like Ngawha for a few days.

DRIVING: 4km east of Kaikohe, clearly signed off of SH12, then

3km to the side-by-side operations.

50
 C4 PAIHIA
(Say: Pie-hee-ah)

commercialized tourist town

• Bring: $$
Google
Coords -35.281325 174.091956 OBSCUR-O-METER

My mother used to tell me that if I didn’t have anything nice to say, then
it’s better to say nothing at all. Since I have nothing nice to say here, to

Northland E
describe Paihia I’ll use the words of the industry leaders...

Lonely Planet:
“Paihia would be a fairly nondescript coastal town if it wasn’t
the main entry point for the Bay of Islands.” “There’s no
point coming here if you don’t head out on the water, so be
prepared to fork out.”

Rough Guide:
“Paihia is where it all happens. Until the mid-1990s it
consisted of little more than a fish and chip shop but now
it’s a 2km-long string of waterside motels, restaurants, and
holiday homes teeming with trip operators, backpackers,
hostels, and party-oriented bars and hotels.”

Haruru Falls. 3.5km NW of Paihia. Haruru, meaning “big noise,” is what

you’ll need to cover up the noise of the nearby bridge and construction
sites. Hard to imagine a less appealing NZ waterfall setting than this.
Graffiti’d bridge and motel upstream, a caravan park and motel complex
downstream.
Shine lights on it, drive a boat up to it…anything to tart-up Haruru a
bit. “Waitangi” roughly translates to “water of tears.” I’ll shed a tear for
poor Haruru.

51
 C5 RUSSELL
BEST BAY OF ISLANDS TOWN
Short walks, hidden nude beach

Google
Coords -35.261891 174.120993 OBSCUR-O-METER

Once the “hellhole of the South Pacific,” Russell is now the jewel of
the Bay of Islands. Russell offers class, as opposed to its neighbor town’s
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crass. Russell has substance, history, and beauty…as opposed to Paihia’s

manufactured tourism. The hills of Russell must sigh each day when the
weight of tourism is lifted by the last ferry departure.
Driving to Russell, either the long way or via the Opua car ferry, is the
best way to get around and explore…but even if you come over on the
passenger ferry (from Paihia), there’s still lots of places in this small town
to walk to (bring a backpack and a picnic.)

Russell Wharf from Flagstaff Hill

Flagstaff Hill. Walk or drive up to this twin-hilled lookout (at 90m).

From here you’ll see Russell’s entire downtown and across the bay to
Paihia. Tour buses may show up to join the walk-from-Russell crowd. A
large sundial mosaic anchors one of the twin hills – ponder a moment how
the numbers on the dial are “backwards” compared to northern hemisphere.
“Clockwise” is actually the direction the sun’s shadow moves on a northern
hemisphere sundial, but Down Under, the shadow moves west to east,
thus “counter-clockwise.”
Tapeka Point and Beach. This
viewpoint is one of the Bay’s best! A
5-minute track heads up a grassy slope
adorned with magnificent Pohutukawas,
leading to a fabulous 360° viewpoint.
This viewpoint, a former pa site, is
divine…no buses nor ferry tourists, just
a seascape of islands bobbing in a bay
of blue. Have a snack and look down at Flag Hill sundial
52
 Paihia’s Fleet

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the zillion-dollar homes surrounding the point…all while watching zillion-
dollar yachts navigate the bay. Yay, all this for free…and probably all to
yourself. Afterwards, head down to Tapeka beach for a mellow swim, or
if the tide’s out maybe rock-hop around the point to see some tide pools.

DRIVING: 2km from town. Pass Flag Hill and down northward, turn right
on Du Fresne to the road-end track sign.

Long Beach (Oneroa). Long Beach is the locals’ beach—the walk

over the hill dissuades most tourists.
This long east-facing beach is eminently swimmable. A lil secret is
the cove to the north, via a pathway—Waitata Beach, is a naturist haven.
Rumour has it that the cliff-top home above Waitata decreed, upon giving
the land to the QE2 trust, that the beach must evermore remain clothing-
optional.

DRIVING: From the north end of the Russell’s commercial strip it’s 1.5km
on Oneroa Rd, passing the Holiday Park on the way.

Tapeka Point

Beach

DRIVING: The Opua-Okiato car ferry runs every 15 minutes for

approximately $10 per car/van.

53
 C6 ELLIOT BAY
BEAUTIFUL DAY- USE PRIVATE-ACCESS BEACH

• Fee: $2 per person

Google
Coords -35.275911 174.288106 OBSCUR-O-METER

Elliot Bay is how you want New Zealand to be…you’re driving along
(from either direction)…and all of a sudden you see a sweep of gorgeous
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beach below you—blue water with breaking waves, framed by green grassy
hillsides and red-blooming Pohutukawas. Wow—stop-the-car beautiful!
Better yet, at the edge of the road is a signed carpark inviting you to enjoy
this slice of nirvana, courtesy of the land-owning local Maoris…for only $2.
Pretty cheap for heaven, eh?!
A walk along
the beach will wow
you…but then it gets
better if you’re keen
to explore a bit more.
First, at low tide don’t
miss finding the
secret beach-end
tunnel to the micro
cove…you’ll know it
and love it when you
discover it! Then, at
Gorgeous 2 the beach-end you’ll
see a stile and a path
marked Te Pahii. Take it up, then steeply down…to a secluded second
beach. At the end of this secluded second, you might scramble to discover
yet another hidden stretch of sand. Hmmm, dunno who this Elliot was,
but I sure like his style.

FYI The locals allow self-

contained campervans (only
self-contained!) to camp on their
beach under the Pohutukawas
overlooking the waves…for about
$15pp. Try to bring some wood for
the communal fire pit. This is how
you want New Zealand to be!
Beach secret tunnel

DRIVING: On the Russell Rd (the backroads route to Russell),

coming up from the south Elliot Bay is about 4km past the turn-
off to Bland Bay (thus 20km from Oakura).
Coming from Russell, Elliot is about 26km, or about 3km past
the signed junction to Rawhiti.

54
 C7 WHANGARURU NORTH HEAD
(Say: Fahnga roo-roo)
peninsula of 36o0 beauty
Walk: Moderate 60-90 minute (5km) loop
• Note: DoC campgrnd PACKED Xmas thru Feb 7th
• Bring: all food/drinks OBSCUR-O-METER
Google
Coords -35.364151 174.360723

Whangaruru is Bay of
Islands beauty without any Bay

W
of Islands crowds. This lil’ DoC To Cape

ha

Northland E
ng
Brett Rome Point

ar
reserve is pretty unassuming,

ur
u
hiding itself at the end of an No
rth
obscure peninsula just past
Ru

Ro
the deterringly named Bland Bland Bay
ss

ad
Bay. Careful though Frenzied ell
traveler…here come the Whangaruru
Ro
Camp- Reserve

Wh
adjectives. A wonderful 60-90 ad
ground Track

an
minute loop track leaves the

ga
rur
DoC campground and tours the

uH
southern half of this reserve via Trig

arb
Oakura X

ou
a ridge, a secluded beach cove,

r
and a viewpoint trig. WOW is
an understatement! The trig is signed on the loop track, but the sign doesn’t
say that the trig is only 100m off the loop—definitely go see!! Nowhere in
the DoC literature does it tell you that the view is adjective-popping and
superlative-riffic. Get this…from the trig you’ll see 320° of azure seascape
and 40° of emerald isthmus…totaling a 360° of jaw-drop. I only wish the
trig was mounted with a swiveling chair so I could sit, spin, and gawp.
Please don’t visit Whangaruru when it’s cloudy out, because now I’ve
just raised your expectations way too high.
Bland Bay. Hardly bland, this is a gorgeous isthmus between
harbour and ocean.
On the ocean side
secluded coves beckon
Mimiwhangata
Poor at either end of the
Knights curving beach. Small
islands dot the bay.
This feels like old-time
New Zealand. Zero
tourists. Really scenic.
No Dairy/market or
Looking south from trig
supplies whatsoever.

DRIVING: On Russell Rd the signed turn for Bland Bay is 15km

north of Oakura or 30km SE of Russell. From the turn Bland Bay
is 8.5km and Whangaruru North Head Doc Camp is 3.5km farther
along the one road.

55
 C8 TUTUKAKA COAST
(Say: Too-too-kah-kah)

beaches and coves extravaganza

• One of my favorite areas

Google
Coords -35.610379 174.524499 OBSCUR-O-METER

This place could be called Tu-

Bream Head
Tu-many charming coves. Hahaha.
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Past Ngunguru and up to Sandy Bay

this hunk of coast is just chock full o’
secluded sandy coves. Unlike the Bay
of Island’s commercialized tourist blitz,
this coast of coves feels very laid-back
and local. The scuba scene out at Poor
Knights Island gets all the publicity
around here, but there’s really so much
more. Swimming along this stretch of
coast is a delight because no matter
which way the wind blows you can
find a nearby beach cove of emerald
tranquility. Hire a kayak in the Tutukaka Tutukaka
marina and you’ve got the perfect calm- Heads
Lighthouse
water adventure vessel…the hours will
whiz by as you poke into every nook and land at each people-free beach.
Ngunguru. The claim to fame here is the long sandspit. Best thing
about the sandspit is that you can’t get there…except via the water. Swim
or kayak over. Miles of golden sand await, not an effing ATV in sight.
Tutukaka Heads Lighthouse track. This is a brilliant short track that
heads to the Heads’ mini lighthouse. The track descends steeply to cross
a rocky isthmus (easy and dry at low-tide, but requires splashing at high-
tide). This 2km track may take 2 hours after you discover the charming
coves and expansive views. Whew, the lighthouse view spans about
120km from Cape Brett down to Cape Rodney. What a great short walk!
To find the carpark, head north of Tutukaka
Harbour 600m then turn right onto Landowners
Lane and go to its end.
Matapouri Bay. (See next entry) Lots of
baches, lots of beauty, lots to explore. The stream
at beach’s south end is a vast explorable sand-
scape at low tide.
A headland loop track with hard-to-find
signage leaves the north end of the Matapouri
Beach and cruises 20 minutes over to Whale Bay.
This is the best track up here—all headland views
and hidden coves. To loop back take the arrowed
Isthmus track that steps down from Whale Bay’s carpark—
hopping it zips quickly down and back to Matapouri.
56
 Whale Bay. (1km past
Matapouri.) On a coast
Sunset
full of superlatives, this
beach reigns supreme.
Thankfully, you must walk
a steep 15-minute path
to get to this gem, thus
keeping human whales to
the minimum. Whale Bay’s
oft-calm waters, protected
from most wind and waves,
invite swimming and sunning

Northland E
and basking. Ahhh, a slice
of heaven. Whale Bay
faces west, meaning great
afternoon and sunset light.
Have a swim and a beer
and a kiss and a smile…and
Whale Bay
watch the couples pose for
wedding pix.
Pssst, if there are too many human whales around for your liking, find
the mid-beach picnic table and look for the scamper path that heads up,
over, and down to uber-secluded east-facing Cabbage Tree Bay.
Sandy/Wooleys Bays. These two Whale’s wedding
are where the local surfers hang their
tens. Drive-up beaches, soft sand, picnic
tables, and toilets at each. Both beaches
are super nice!
Whananaki Coastal Walkway. Skip
this track, it sucks. Neither coastal nor
interesting. More cows than coast. The
walkway is a roadway through cow
pastures, rarely visiting any actual coves.

Wooleys
Bay

Gorgeous loop drive

DRIVING: The 70km loop road touring the Tutukaka Coast leaves
from Whangarei and returns to SH1 just 10km north on SH1 at
Hikurangi.

57
 C9 MERMAID POOL OF MATAPOURI
LOCAL SECRET
Walk: Not telling!

• Bring: newspaper tide chart, Ariel

Google
Coords -35.559016 174.514303 OBSCUR-O-METER

This is almost
too good for me
Northland E

to even tell you.

Pool
Damn though, it’s
my job to tell ya Low tide
about places like only!
this, isn’t it? Gotta
do my job, right?
Don’t want to get
fired.
So, at the NE
end of Matapouri’s
golden crescent of beach there sits a rounded headland hill with a large
rocky tidal shelf on its seaward side. You can’t see the hidden shelf from
Matapouri beach. On this tidal shelf is a pool…a deep pool…an emerald
pool…a deep deep emerald emerald pool that’s better and deeper and
emeralder than any other in all of NZ. Nuff said.
Fortunately, since the archway portal that allowed locals easy-access
to the Mermaid Pool collapsed in 2010, nowadays only mermaids and
fleet-footed scramblers can find and bask in this sun-kissed Shangri-La.
Access is at half-tide or lower--only! Higher tide swamps the pool.
Tramp At the last small sandy cove at the NE end of the beach you’ll
see a path. The path soon forks. The left went to the fallen archway. The
right fork, carved into the steep hillside by dedicated Matapournians,
ascends steeply up the treacherous steep slippery root-grappling slope
before descending the toe-
breaking razor-sharp blood-
letting rocks down to the pool.
Maybe you don’t want to go
after all. Bring a bathing suit to
accompany your birthday suit,
just in case. The mermaids
swim naked. Bring a towel to
sit on and food for when you
decide that you really don’t want
Dive-ably deep! to leave.

DRIVING: Matapouri is on the Tutukaka Coast Rd, 6km past the

Tutukaka Marina. Any of the signed beach roads get you to the
beach. Head left on the beach.
58
 C10 TANE MOANA
(Say: Tah-nay Moe-anna)

TUTUKAKA'S big TREE

Walk: Easy/mod 30-35 minutes one-way

Google
Coords -35.608652 174.491597 OBSCUR-O-METER

Tane Moana is impressive, even if you’ve recently seen Tane Mahuta

or the other Waipoua Forest goliaths (B4). If, on the other hand, you’ve

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yet to see a BIG Kauri tree, then Tane Moana becomes a must-see!
Truth-be-told, it took me 7 NZ summers before I even became aware
that there was a massive Kauri at the end of an easy walk in Tutukaka. I
had visited the Tutukaka Coast many-a-time, but somehow I just hadn’t
clued-in. Thus, when I finally did figure out just where the tree stood, and
no, it didn’t require some 2-4 hour walk to see it…well, up I went, excitement
in my shoes. I didn’t actually expect too impressive of a tree, figuring that
if it were very impressive, then surely I would have heard of it sooner.
Boy, was I ever wrong.
Whoa! Tane Moana isn’t
going to win any of the
“biggest Kauri” awards, but
that’s mostly because it is
more squat than tall. But I
like squat. No wait, I LOVE
squat. Yakas Kauri in the
Waipoua is squat. What
squat means is that the
trunk is wide and fat, and
to me that’s the best part
of Kauri-ness. If you are
Impressive!
into the tall skinnies, then
go see Hokianga Kauri up in the Omahuta Forest (A12). Tane Moana is
an impressive lord, though slightly diminutive. Ever see that dwarf imp
on Game of Thrones? He rocks his size, and so does Tane Moana. No
better thing to do on the Tutukaka Coast on a cloudy day than the easy
walk to see the East Coast’s lone remaining giant!!
Walk The signed track begins with an uphill through a clearcut pine
plantation for about 20 minutes before the track becomes an easier dirt
road for 10-15 minutes into the native bush to the signed boardwalk around
Tane Moana. At one point there are views over Ngunguru to Bream Head
and Mt Manaia. Stay left at the one unsigned logging-road fork.

DRIVING: On the east end of Ngunguru, along the bayfront, turn

onto signed Waiotoi Rd and go 3km to the signed right-side
trailhead which only has a small two-car road-shoulder carpark.
This signed, yet easy-to-miss, trailhead is 400m past a wooded
bridge crossing.
59
 C11 ABBEY CAVES
THREE WILD LIMESTONE CAVES
Tramp: Difficult wet slippery passages

• Bring: water shoes, shorts, two torches each

Google
Coords -35.707930 174.354155 OBSCUR-O-METER

This series of three separate

caves, set amongst a neat lime-
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stone boulder garden, are one

of the unheralded adventures
that make this island so special.
Except backpackers headed to The loop track start/end
the acclaimed “Little Earth Lodge”
(which neighbors the caves), few people outside of Whagareins seem to
know about these caves. If you’re not very adventurous, then skip these
caves, as there’s nothing much to see
unless you’re willing to scramble over
some rocks/obstacles to get inside any
of the three.
But for people who like to explore,
oh man, these caves are a wonder of
both exploration and beauty. I really
can’t say enough about Organ cave’s
singular beauty…but let me try: colorful
Limestone rock garden
limestone eroded by stream flow into
mind-bending corkscrew passages adorned with captivating dripstone
stalactite formations. Whew, how was that!! Way different from nearby
Waipu Cave (C18), Organ Cave
The mouth of Ivy Cave
is like being inside the bowels of a
Bengal tiger—you gotta go see, as
the orange/black striping will amaze
you! The stream that flows through all
three caves is generally ankle deep,
but sometimes crotch-deep for short
lengths. These caves make for a solid
half-day adventure if you like caving.
From the carpark next to Little
Earth Lodge the first cave (Organ)
is ten minutes down the hill. Enter
Organ by dropping down and left after
the sign into the challenging entrance.
You can splash/wade/rock-hop in the
ankle/knee-deep cave stream about
an hour to reach Organ’s abrupt end
(there is a bit of an upper passage, but
its best to stay in the stream).

60
 From the mouth of Organ Cave
the track zigzags thru the bush
to signed Middle Cave. Middle
Cave is the easiest and shortest
adventure here, so try this one first
if you’re not sure about caving.
Middle Cave is a shortish out/back
thru a twisting passage with plenty
of overhead glowworms.
Next along the not-very-well-
marked track is Ivy Cave. Ivy Cave
is the only through-cave of the

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three. Here you’ll head downstream
into twisting passageways in this
high-vaulted cave. The water can
be crotch/waist deep in short spots,
but have faith and keep going.
Glowworms decorate the vaulted
Organ’s orange drip stone
ceiling the entire way and when you
get to the “beach” at the far exit of the cave…you’ll just want to do it all
over again! The one-way thru the cave takes about 30 minutes.

FYI If you see a sign

on the way down to Organ
Cave, saying something
like “rock forest”, take the
short detour to see the
Thailand-like limestone
maze—totally worth it!

Inside
Organ
Waterfall

DRIVING: Caves are east of town and now featured on most area
maps. Head north on Mill Rd towards Whangarei Falls, but turn
right onto Whareora Rd (before a river bridge.) Go 3.2km, passing
AH Reed Park, then turn right onto Abbey Caves Rd. Go 1km to
the roadside carpark next to Little Earth Lodge.

61
 C12 WHANGAREI FALLS/KAURI WALKWAY
(Say: Fahnga-ray)

waterfalls and kauris

Walk: Easy 10 or 80-minute loops

Google
Coords -35.684387 174.334795 OBSCUR-O-METER

Whangarei doesn’t have a rec- Romance at

reational reputation like the Bay of Whangarei Falls
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Islands, but as far as free outdoor

activities are concerned, Whangarei
can compete with the best of towns.
Not many NZ cities have such a
variety of natural attractions so
nearby—caves and coves, beaches
and mountains, waterfalls and Kauris,
marine reserves and surf breaks…
you can tramp, swim, surf, snorkel,
kayak, spelunk, and scuba all
within minutes of Whangarei. Don’t
overlook this town’s attractions (as I
once did.) Adventure awaits around every corner near Whangarei. Go
cave when it’s clammy, tramp when it’s cloudy, and swim when it’s sunny.
I adore the Whangarei area!!
The pride of Whangarei is
definitely Whangarei Falls. If you
combine a visit to the falls with a
streamside walk to the AH Reed
Kauri park and back, it’ll be NZ
time well spent. The waterfall itself
needs little promotion, as the 26m
falls are considered one of the
most-photo’d falls on the island (ok
Huka Falls, settle down now.)
Kauri Canopy walk
Lesser-known is the fabulous
walk downstream from the falls. In 20 minutes you’ll arrive at the AH Reed
Kauri park where a signed loop track will swing you over a unique “canopy
walkway” and then up to a view
of rarely-seen-but nothing-to-
write-home-about Pukenui Falls.
The Kauri loop is just a half hour,
making the entire excursion from
the falls about 80-90 minutes.

DRIVING: Whangarei Falls are signed on the extreme NE edge of

Whangarei, near Tikipunga on the Ngunguru Rd (the road heading
to the Tutukaka coast.)

62
 C13 MT. MANAIA TRACK
(Say: Man-eye-ah)

DELUXE 36O0 VIEWPOINT TRACK

Walk: Difficult one-hour (3km) one-way
• Elevation trailhead: 70m
• Elevation top: 400m
Google
Coords -35.821006 174.509717 OBSCUR-O-METER

The top! The jagged sawtooth crown of Mt Manaia is a

Whangarei icon, recognizable from miles around.

Northland E
Topping this peak is a viewpoint platform that sports
a view of everything in the Whangarei Bay region,
as well as some far-off landmarks like Dargaville’s
Tokatoka Peak. Bring an area map to help identify
everything in sight.
The track to the peak used to be a challenging
tramping romp requiring grappling up steep slippery
slopes with the help of surrounding tree limbs, roots
and anything else within grasp. But, as of 2011,
DoC “fixed” the track turning it from a tramp to a walk…albeit a STEEP
walk. DoC installed numerous staircases and bridged a number of slippery
gullies, while also laying a mountain worth of gravel to firm-up the track
tread. Hard-case old-timers, and the rock band Queen, might cry “another
tramp bites the dust,” but for most folks the improvements are a big help to
make this ascent a fitness challenge rather than a treacherous fight-to-the-
finish. All the DoC works also make the ascent much safer and enjoyable
in wet less-than-summery conditions. Good on ya DoC!
Bream Head
Smugglers Bay

Half-way viewpoint

DRIVING: The trailhead is on Whangarei Heads Rd on the way

to Ocean Beach, about 29km from downtown Whangarei. At the
Parua Bay right turn (to stay on Whangarei Heads Rd), check
your odometer and go 7km more. As you pass through McLeod
Bay village, look for the signed carpark on the left in back of the
Manaia Club.
63
 C14 MT. AUBREY/REOTAHI SHORELINE
LOOP
A BIT OF EVERYTHING
Walk: Mod-Diff 90-120 minute loop

• See map on website

Google
Coords -35.827071 174.498349 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Mt Aubrey/Reotahi
shoreline loop is superb. It’s got
Northland E

a little of everything and then

some extra! Mt Aubrey is a ridge
of exposed rock parapets, much
like neighboring Bream Head
and Mt Manaia. Mt Aubrey’s
special charm is that it juts into Whangarei Bay at the bay’s narrowest
point, thus yielding truly impressive views of most everything from its
bare-rock crown. The Marsden Oil Refinery (NZ’s only refinery), probably
considered a visual blight on the landscape by most standards, is actually
kinda neat to see from above. Otherwise, beautiful blue bays bookend
the sweeping views from Mt Aubrey, with the saw-tooth grandeur of Mt
Manaia to the rear. Wow!
In addition to the views from the top, there’s a shoreline portion of this
loop track that connects the two ridge ends. This shoreline track tours
coves studded with rocks, islands and over-hanging Pohutukawas…just
gorgeous! And…if that’s not quite enough to entice you, along the shoreline
track you’ll also find the extensive, explorable, and photogenic ruins of the
1912-era Whangarei Meat-Freezing Works. Viewpoints, shoreline, ruins….
ahhhh, too much good stuff—I love this loop!

Marsden Refinery

Whangarei Bay

Freezing-Works Ruins
64
Mt. Manaia with the Pacific beyond Walk There are
two different carparks
on the Reotahi Penin-
sula which are linked
by 1km of paved road
to connect the loop.
I prefer to park at
the farther road-end
carpark and walk the
loop counter-clockwise
so that you do the
connecting road last (from the Tiller Park carpark) for a downhill finish.

Northland E
Thus, from the road-end Reotahi Bay carpark begin the signed track
about 8 minutes to the ruins. After a good explore at the ruins continue
10 minutes to the signed Mt Aubrey Jct. Turn and now up you go up the
steep steps to the ridge. When you crest the ridge and ramble across its
flatish top there are some rock-outcrop viewpoints that you can scout-out
that require rock-scrambling nimble-ness to mount. However, the best-
of-them-all view is from atop Mt Aubrey’s rock dome. This rock, like the
others, is unsigned. It’s the final rock knob along the ridge before the track
starts its steep stair-stepped descent to Tiller Carpark. The scramble-path
up Mt Aubrey has a huge three-limbed tree marking its start, immediately
atop the long steep steps. This scramble up isn’t too hard, but if you have
a fear of heights forget it. After a look from Mt Aubrey descend the steps
to Tiller Park then go left on the road back to your car.

Mt. Aubrey view south

DRIVING: From Whangarei take Whangarei Heads Rd for about

28km and at McLeod Bay, just before the signed Mt Manaia track,
turn right onto Reotahi Rd. and follow it a 1.5kms to its end at the
bay where there’s a short gravel road up to the hidden carpark.

65
 C15 KAURI MTN TRACK & BEACH
OFF-THE- BEATEN-TRACK NICE
Walk: 1km one-way
• Elevation trailhead: 100m
• Elevation top: 245m
Google
Coords -35.774250 174.537728 OBSCUR-O-METER

Kauri Mtn is a little-

known hill rising over Bream Head
Northland E

the north end of the

long sweep of Ocean
Beach. Atop the 245m
mountain is a trig that
features a far-and-
Beach Ocean
wide panoramic view, Beach
especially of Ocean access
Beach stretching
7km towards craggy
Bream Head. The
view northwards is no
slouch either, taking in
the Pataua coast as well as the Tutukaka Heads lighthouse point. This
mountain is like a mini-Mt Manaia—not quite the views, but only a third
of the effort.
When I first hiked the track up to the trig in 2009 I was pretty
disappointed that the trig area was so overgrown that there were no views
at all until I actually climbed up to the shaky tip-top of the trig…which then
led me to exclaim, “oh wow!” But hey, in 2011, DoC fixed-up the Kauri Mtn
track, laying a bunch of steps and gravel on
the slippery parts, and clearing the views at
the trig. But, just like in 2009, notice that there
are two sets of nails in the trig that you can
use for footholds…and if you do, “oh wow”
reigns again as Mt Manaia and Whangarei
Bay come into view.
After the jaunt up Kauri Mtn you’ll want
to go check-out the access to the north end
of Ocean Beach. From the trig you’ll see
the farm road to the beach next to the barn,
so just drive down 2km and go left thru the
beach-access gate (Te Araroa Trail access).
Perfect!

DRIVING: On Whangarei Heads Rd, just past Parua Bay, stay

straight at road signs for Taiharuru Beach/Pataua South (21km
from Whangarei). In 2.4km turn right at sign for Taiharuru and go
another 1.5km to the signed Kauri Mtn Rd. Turn right and follow
this gravel road 3km to the signed carpark (at road’s highpoint).

66
 C16 SMUGGLERS COVE–BUSBY HEAD
LOOP TRACK
VIEWS GALORE SECLUDED BEACH COVE
Walk: Moderate 1.5-hour (5km) loop

Google
Coords -35.848059 174.534678 OBSCUR-O-METER

Mt Manaia The Smugglers

Cove loop track is the

Northland E
Whangarei Heads’
best bang-for-the-
buck walking track.
The well-made and
graded loop track
circles a rocky head-
land that juts into
the entrance of
Loop track
Whangarei Harbour.
The track is a scenic
delight for its entire length—you’ll get exceptional views over the hill-
studded harbour entrance, then views out to the islands dotting the Pacific…
all before a visit to the inviting stretch of white sands at Smugglers Cove.
There’s no other track this easy, yet this scenic, in hundreds of kms…
especially a well-made loop track!

Walk The best route is counter-clockwise. Head to your right, visit

some WWII gun-emplacement bunkers and then continue out to Busby
Head. Definitely take the side-track out to Busby Head—it’s only an easy
5 minutes—and it provides a total view of Smugglers Cove and the entire
length of the jutting Bream Headland. From there you’ll descend to the
Smugglers Cove beach…then back up over the short hill to the carpark.

WWII bunker
Smugglers
Cove

DRIVING: The Whangarei i-Site map is super helpful to have.

The trailhead is about 33km from Whangarei, at Urquharts Bay
(the last harbour-side cove before Ocean Beach). At the signed
Urquharts Bay junction stay right along the bayshore to the road-
end carpark. There’s a map and toilet at the carpark.
67
 C17 BREAM HEADLAND LOOP TRACK
sUPERB cOASTAL VIEWPOINTS LOOP
Tramp: Mod/diff 2.5 to 3-hour (9km) loop
• Elevation trailhead: 0
• Elevation top: 476m
Google
Coords -35.842761 174.56738 OBSCUR-O-METER

The tramping track looping up from Ocean Beach to the craggy tip of
Bream Head then across the ridge and back down is NZ tramping at its
Northland E

scenic-highlights best. The Bream Head track is arguably the most view-
packed loop track on the entire North Island! The views from the top are
just SO damn interesting. You might could tramp to higher peaks, but few
offer the array of interesting sights that Bream Head offers.

Bream Head

Park Peach

Ocean Beach

From the top of Bream Head to the north you’ll see the gorgeous
crescent of Ocean Beach stretching towards Kauri Mtn, then the Tutukaka
Heads, then Cape Brett in the wee distance. To the east is an endless
array of islands from the Poor Knights to Great Barrier. To the south, all
Ruakaka/Uretiti Beach, and even Mangawhai Heads and beach…stretching
to Cape Rodney. And,to the west, the magnificence of the entire Whangarei
Harbour with far-off hills like Dargaville’s Tokatoka Peak. To sum it up,
360° of oh-my-god! Fishing boats bob in the bays below, surfers skip on
the whitecaps at Ocean Beach, dolphins dance and wave their flippers
up at you, jealous that you get to climb scenic mountains like this one
while they can only frolic in the sea all day. Bring a lunch and sunscreen
because it’s easy to enjoy an hour at the top watching all the action of the
boats, tides, waves etc etc.

View over
Whangarei
Bay

68
 WWII radar site

Northland E
Tramp NOTE: there exists a longer track across all of Bream Head,
but you’d need a shuttle to complete it. This description completes a loop
from the Ocean Beach carpark, where there’s a map showing the route
(take a photo of it).
Believe me, the best loop is to go counter-clockwise, thus up the
Peach Cove track first, saving the eye-candy descent/walk along Ocean
Beach for the finale. So, from the Ocean carpark, walk back up the road
for 8 minutes up to the Peach Cove track sign (notice Bream Head clearly
up to your left—the left-most rock knob). At Peach turn left and begin a
3.5km climb up the road/staircases to the ridge. At the first junction sign
head left towards Ocean Beach. Now the tramping begins in earnest as
the track steepens and becomes a sweaty roots ‘n’ rocks tramp up to the
headland. After 3km more you’ll be along the Bream ridge and you’ll need
to keep an eye out for the unsigned spur-track that heads to the right to
the rocky Bream Head viewpoints. The first view-rock on this spur track
requires grappling up it with the use of vines and roots. The tip-top rock
knob awaits a minute further, but it requires a bit of a difficult-looking, but
not-too-hard rock-climb to ascend to its unfettered 360° view. This 10m
vertical rock heap looks intimidating as hell upon first glance, but I can
assure you that it’s actually fairly easy once you get your hands on the
rock. There are solid hand-holds and ledges the whole way…and coming
down, butt-to-the-rock is no problem…so up you go!!
After a long look-see, the track steeply descends for 2km until you
come to the WWII Radar-site clearing, marked with a picnic table and
interpretive sign. From there the rest of the descent is 100% eye-candy
as you meander down the grassy ridge to the beach.

DRIVING: The Ocean Beach carpark is at the very end of Whangarei

Heads Rd, a gorgeous drive of about 37km from Whangarei Town
Basin. There are signed turns along the way…and the i-Site map
is super-helpful to have.

69
 C18 WAIPU CAVE
(Say: Why-poo?)

stalagmites and glowworm galaxy

Tramp: Moderate 30-min look-around or diff
90-min venturous, dark, wet, muddy maze
• Bring: 2 torches, water shoes, swimsuit, tripod
Google
Coords -35.934642 174.347907 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waipu Cave, the island’s

largest uncommercialized cave,
Northland E

is a hole in the ground with an

excellent adventure inside!!
Just inside the entrance
giant stalactites and stalagmites
loom over the stream that runs
through the cave. Of course you
need a flashlight….but two are
way better. The huge cavern at the cave’s entrance will seem to eat your
light, as if your flashlight isn’t bright enough…but, here’s the straight dope:
in a small cave light bounces around, easily illuminating a small passage…
but in a large cavern you either need heaps more light, or you need to
be patient and let your eyes’ rods and cones adjust to the darkness. The
rods in your eyes need time to produce an enzyme that activates
“night vision.” Most first-time visitors peer into the entrance a bit, shake
their flashlight as if it’s not working, then soon leave because they can’t
see—wow, they have NO IDEA what they’re missing!!
Not you though. You’re smart and are reading a guidebook with real
directions and real advice. Here’s more straight dope: once inside the
cave, sit next to the giant stalagmite in the dark area to the left and
wait 7 minutes. Fiddle with your camera…do something while giving
your eyes time to adjust to the dark. Patience, grasshopper. Only then
are you ready to head downstream along the streambed to the glowworm
wonderland that awaits around the corner! The bioluminescent glowworm
“stars” glimmer overhead like a celestial Milky Way of wormlight.

Cave
People opening

Pond
70
Nowhere else on Earth is Glowworms
like this room—you gotta
see it! Unlike Waitomo, in
Waipu you can take all the
pictures you like. Flash photos
won’t show the glowworms, but
they will show the cave features.
As an example, here’s a
Waipu story. One visit, as I
sat and waited for my eyes to
Tripod 15-sec
adjust, three older folks entered exposure
the cave and muttered about

Northland E
how they couldn’t see. I had been in the cave for 10 minutes and could
see plenty well. They were going to leave, but I called to them and said that
if they walk over to me, then I’d show
them a chamber that’d make their jaws
drop and hearts sing. Surprisingly, they
came and sat with me. They oooh’d and
ahhh’d as their eyes adjusted. Then,
after a few minutes we all splashed
through the ankle-deep stream into the
next chamber…the glowworm Milky
Flash photo
–no glowworms Way! The ladies exclaimed, “like a
fairy kingdom” and “much better than
Waitomo!” They emailed me later telling me it was the highlight of their
NZ trip. Nice!
For the adventurous, the cave continues downstream for 150m more
with one more glowworm
Glowworm
bonanza. It zigs and zags like galaxy
a maze with inter-connected
passages and lets you make
a loop (if you’re intrepid). It’ll
be muddy so wear a swimsuit,
old shirt, and shoes (there‘s a
shower outside to clean up.)
You can’t get lost…follow the
stream and it’s mini-falls until
its surprising end. Look for a
side passage to loop back to
the glowworm room.
DRIVING: On SH1 the road to Waipu Cave makes a loop between
Oakleigh and Uretiti. From the south turn left at cave signs just
north of Uretiti beach. Turn at the cave sign and in 1km go right
onto Mountfield Rd and follow cave signs 12.5km more to the
signed carpark. It’s OK to park inside the gate on the grassy
paddock.
Coming from the north, just south of Oakleigh at a petrol
station (12km south of Whangarei) turn right onto Springfield
Rd. Follow it for 12km then turn left onto Waipu Cave Rd for 4km
more to the carpark.
71
 C19 PIROA FALLS
WATERFALL SWIMMING HOLE
Walk: Steep 2-minute walk

Google
Coords -36.055852 174.387497 OBSCUR-O-METER

Piroa Falls is a 20m stream of water cascading into a basalt gorge. This
waterfall isn’t a must-see photogenic spectacle that will make you oooh and
Northland E

ahhh…but if you come on a sunny day the swimmable pools fringed with
warm smoothed rock will
add up to beauty and fun.
A picnic table next to the
pool begs some picnicking.
A rough path climbing to
the top of the falls begs
some adventuring. Anyone
caught kissing on the rock
in the middle of the top pool
deserves an NZ Frenzy
prize… email me a photo!

Piroa Falls pools

Kiss here
Winning 2013-2015
pics on blog

Top of the falls

DRIVING: On SH1 you need to look for Waipu Gorge Rd either

10km north of Brynderwyn (at the bottom of the hill) or 6.5km
south of Waipu town. Either way turn onto the unsealed Gorge R
and go 6.6km to the signed trailhead.

72
 C20 MANGAWHAI
(Say: Mahnga-fye)
CLIFFS WALKWAY
excellent headlands/beach loop
Walk: Moderate 2-3 hour (8km) loop
• Note: half-tide or lower for loop
• Bring: newspaper tide chart
Google
Coords -36.081202 174.596782 OBSCUR-O-METER

Cape Rodney Mangawhai This loop walk-

Heads way is one of the

Northland E
best coastal tracks
Te Arai on the entire island—
it’s that good! This is
a 2-3 hour loop—half
along the beach and
its rocky coves, the
other half contouring
atop the cliffs. Unlike
many NZ coastal
tracks that hide their
views behind gorse
Cliffs walkway looking south or bush, this walkway
sports wide-open
vistas over both the island-studded horizon and 30km of beach. Nice!
Few other tracks on the North Island features as continuous a coastal
view as this one…and if you plan the tide correctly you also can complete
the loop by returning to the trailhead via
charismatic beaches and coves below
the cliff-top track. In a nutshell, what you
don’t want to do is arrive at high tide, as
90 minutes either side of high tide shuts
down the beach-loop option.
Here’s the deal: from the Mangawhai
Heads carpark walk 15 minutes north on
the beach to find the signed/map start of
the loop. If the tide is falling, then head
up to do the upper walk first. But if the
tide is rising, then do the beach walk first.
From the loop beginning point it takes
about 45 minutes to walk the beach’s
coves, duck through the beach-ending
arch, and find the staircase to the upper
track. Arch at end of beach route
DRIVING: Mangawhai Heads Loop Road is signed off of SH1
either north of Wellsford, or near Waipu town. At the north end
of Mangawhai Heads town look for the roundabout signed to the
Heads and surf beach. Park at the surf beach and head north on
the beach to begin the loop at a beach signpost.
73
 C21 TE ARAI POINT
(Say: Tee Arrr-eye)

SERENE SURF BEACH

Walk: Easy/mod short headland tracks

Google
Coords -36.160090 174.646898 OBSCUR-O-METER

The long smooth of beach running between Cape Rodney and

Mangawhai Heads is only broken up by one feature—Te Arai Point. From
Northland E

any of the short tracks that climb to the Point’s picnic viewpoints your
gaze will sweep north and south for miles without bumping into anything
but waves.
Local surfers flock to the excellent breaks on either side of the point.
Beach-walkers come to stroll for miles. Swimmers come for the warm
waters and for the fun quarry cove on the north side of the point. This
former-quarry cove is playful swimming because the surging tide whisks
you back and forth like a watery rocking chair. Kids (at heart) love to jump
off the cove’s rocks at high tide.
Overall, Te Arai Pt is quiet, undeveloped, serene…satisfying. There
are no beach homes, baches or any development within sight of this stretch
of beach—just wonderful! Te Arai Point is far far far off the tourist path,
because there are no commercial interests at Te Arai shouting at you to
come visit. Nope, all that’s down at Goat Island.
If Te Arai gets too windy, you might try to find swimmable Tomarata
Lake. The lake is inland and about 8km south of the beach, shown on most
maps. Of the three nearby lakes, Tomarata is the only really inviting one,
sporting a boat ramp, picnic areas and shoreline sunning spots. Be warned
though that the water is brown tannin-stained, though perfectly clean.

Mangawhai
Heads Bream Head Hen Taranga
Island

Jumping

Quarry Cove

74
 Northland E
Swimming cove

Tomarata Lake

DRIVING: From the south on SH1 drive 7km north of Wellsford

and turn right at signs for Mangawhai. In about 15km look for the
signed right turn to Te Arai and follow this road 6km. Near the
beach the road splits, heading either to the north-side or south-
side carpark. To find secretive Tomarata Lake, head south from
this fork about 8km and look for Atkins Rd.
Coming from the north you’ll need a decent map…head
towards Mangawhai and then farther south at Te Arai signs.

75
 Waitakere Coast
D

D1 Muriwai Beach
D2 Goldie Bush/Mokoroa Falls
D3 Bethell’s Beach
D4 Piha Beach
D5 Karekare Beach
D6 Whatipu Beach

76
WAITAKERE COAST REGION
The “Wai-tack” forest (in local lexicon) is BY FAR my favorite
forested area anywhere in New Zealand. BY FAR MY FAVORITE!!
This will seem a surprise to most NZ visitors I imagine, as it is a
bit of a surprise for myself. But spanning all my years of exploring
the nooks and crannies of NZ, I find that the concentrated wonders
of the Waitak consistently impress me more than any other forest
in NZ. Who would guess that when pondering the roll call of NZ’s
most-hyped attractions that my favorite forest/beaches combo area
would be this little-heralded area immediately adjacent to NZ’s
largest, most populous, and most sprawling city? Most places in
the world you hurry to escape the region around the international
city you fly into. Most visitors do the same in NZ…but not for the
right reasons. Most visitors hurry away from the region because
Tourism NZ loudly trumpets the charms of Bay of Islands/Waitomo/
Coromandel/Rotorua. Nobody trumpets about the Waitak because
nobody stands to make a bunch of money off travelers visiting
D
to the Waitakeres. That’s why you should go, especially on the
uncrowded mid-week days. Magnificence minus tourism, all con-
veniently located.
So here’s the down-and-dirty about the extensive-yet-compact
Waitak: this forest might not feature the “best”, “finest”, “highest”, or
“world-famousest” of anything…but it simply has the most wonder-
ful concentrated array of walking tracks, beaches, secluded coves,
waterfalls, jungly fern forest, viewpoints, history, blacksand dunes,
surfing, nature-watching, and epic sunsets….ANYWHERE IN NZ!!
Though this chapter in this book is the shortest of any of my fea-
tured regions, it’s not because there’s not much here to explore….
rather, it’s because that there is so much in the Waitak that I could
write an entire book about the small area (if I lived in Auckland I
definitely would!). But…I’ve also learned in my NZ years that travel-
ers just don’t want to stay in the Auckland area no matter what I
say, so I figure why belabor the point if it’s just gonna fall on deaf
ears. Honestly, if you’re a traveler who has only budgeted the typi-
cal 7-10 days for North Island exploration, then I don’t blame you
for racing away towards all the Tourism NZ-touted wonder spots.
BUT, if you are a traveler who has more than 3 weeks on the North,
then I think you’d be a fool not to budget at least 2-3 days for some
Waitak lovin’. There’s nothing better on your first and last nights on
the North Island than watching a sunset from one of the Waitakere
beaches. Muriwai is best for first-night camping…then Piha for
your last night. C ya there…this is where I hang out! (FYI, I’ll add
some extra stuff/info/ideas/maps onto my website for the curious).
Don’t miss: Muriwai gannets (D1)
Bethell’s dune lake (D3)
Piha’s Kitekite waterfall (D4)
Karekare’s loop tracks (D5)
Whatipu’s caves/views/“new” beach (D6)
77
 D1 MURIWAI BEACH
(Say: Mur-ee-why)

a beach with everything...plus gannets

Walk: Easy quick walks to the overlooks

• Rugged Te Henga Walkway

Google
Coords -36.830209 174.427522 OBSCUR-O-METER

Muriwai’s claim to fame is the colony of Gannets that nest and rear
chicks on the ocean-front sea stacks and bluffs…though there’s much
more to this beach than just nesting birds. Summertime is Gannettime
at Muriwai…by May all the birds “fly the coop”, the little ones to Oz and
the parents to ??? Why these Gannets prefer Muriwai (or Napier’s Cape
Kidnappers) is anyone’s guess. My guess is they like to nest where they
know a gaggle of tourists will come to photograph them. I wonder if Gannets
Waitakere

have terms like “gaggle” or “pride” or “school” to describe a clustered bunch

of camera-toting humans all elbow-to-elbow at guard-railed overlooks.
Perhaps a “frenzy”??? hahaha
Ok, enough of my keen author-wit. Muriwai’s Gannets are pretty damn
interesting to watch, even if you’re not a “birder”…they fly, they soar, they
dive…they mate for life…they nest on the same mound every year! All
kinds of plaques at the overlooks explain all kinds of Gannet facts. The
view platforms are just feet away from the gorgeous birds—it REALLY is
quite a show!
Besides the Gannets, Muriwai Beach sports an array of charms. As
far as Waitakere beaches go, Muriwai is by far the easiest to drive to—
fast road the entire way from Auckland compared to the other beaches’
twisty-turny descents. Muriwai has scenic rock cliffs on one side, a
horde of surfers around either side of its rocky headland point, and then

Gannet viewing
78
 Fishing/exploring

Blowholes
Tidal shelf

an uninterrupted beach stretching north for forever. There’s a café, a

beachside campground, surf/boogie board rentals….yup, Muriwai’s got

Waitakere
it all!
Te Henga Walkway: This rugged walkway contours the clifftops for 8km
between Muriwai and Bethells Beach. This is a rough path with plenty of
short steeps, but it packs plenty of bang-for-the-buck in terms of endless
coastal views…with rarely a soul around. As an out/back from Muriwai,
it’s good to go 6km to the sweet-as perch overlooking Bethell’s Beach,
then turn around to retrace your steps. The route is marked with orange
pointers. Expect some rough footing and minor bush-whacking.
The signed trailhead is south of Muriwai near the end of Constable Rd
(past Goldie Bush trailhead [D2]).

Muriwai Beach Trailhead

Te Henga Walkway

DRIVING: Head NW from Auckland on SH16. Past Kumeu look

for the signed turn at Waimauku and head 11km to the beach.

79
 D2 GOLDIE BUSH/MOKOROA FALLS
RIVER-SPLASH TRACK
Tramp: Moderate 2-hour (6-7km) loop tramp

• Bring: water shoes, swimsuit

Google
Coords -36.842248 174.447779 OBSCUR-O-METER

This tramping loop track is sort of Muriwai

like canyoneering lite. This loop is sort
of a triangle—one leg thru the bush from
carpark to waterfall overlook, the next part
downstream criss-crossing and splashing
thru the actual streambed, then the final
leg back thru the bush to the upper
Waitakere

carpark. The Mokoroa stream section

of this DoC-marked track criss-crosses
Goldie Carparks
the knee-deep stream numerous times,
with the track markers actually glued
underwater in certain spots. This is a great
fun jaunt to go on when it’s sunny around
11am-2pm, because then the delightful Water-
stream pools will invite lingering dips falls
and sunning. There are stone-cut steps Bethell’s
around deeper pools, but overall this is
pretty simple tramping. Wearing just swimsuit and shoes is fun! Mokoroa
Falls itself can be interesting if it has rained a bunch, but by mid-summer
it’s often just a wee trickle.
You can access
the track either from
Waitakere City or
Muriwai Beach. Either
trailhead is good. The
carpark-Falls track is
30 minutes, from falls
downstream is one
hour, and Goldie track
thru the bush is 30
minutes.

Splash!

DRIVING: From Waitakere City take Bethells Rd which soon

becomes Wairere Rd. Head west 7km more, staying right at signs
onto Horseman Rd to the road-end carpark.
Muriwai trailhead is located on the corner of Oaia and
Constable roads. Oaia Rd contours southwards sort of in back
of the Muriwai homes.

80
 D3 BETHELL’S BEACH
SURF BEACH AND SECRET DUNE LAKE
Walk: Steep 2km Te Henga Overlook,
moderate 4km dune/lake loop

Google
Coords -36.890677 174.449105 OBSCUR-O-METER

Bethell’s Beach is simply a fun-to-

explore playground…another Waitakere
gem! It’s a lot less commercialized than
Piha—no campground or mini-mart or pubs.
The surf is epic with surf lifeguards aplenty. Exploring Bethell’s Beach is
an adventure—there’s O’Neill Bay to the north and an array of sea caves
at the south end.

Waitakere
The Te Henga Walkway cruises 8km to Muriwai (but going just 2km
as an out/back up to the Bethells Overlook is an excellent workout to a
supreme viewpoint!) Look for the signed/mapped carpark a bit back from
the road-end beach carpark. (Check my website map for loop option.)
The most intriguing “secret” that Bethell’s doesn’t tell the world about is
unique Wainamu Lake. Hidden in back of Bethell’s are some vast blacksand
dunes that dam up a stream canyon, forming a large freshwater lake. Wow,
Wainamu is cool…yet swimmably warm! Even the route to the lake is
fascinating as you Carpark
zigzag through a below
dune Track to lake
streambed of jet-
black sand for 30
minutes as the
stream contours
around the steep Track to
black dunes until Wainamu Lake waterfalls
reaching the outflow edge of the lake. Super neat! Heading back to the
carpark from the lakeside, you can head over the dunes for a shortcut back
to the carpark, thus making a loop.
Also, at the lake’s beach, there’s a
DoC-marked one-hour track that circles the
lake. The track, now part of the Waitakere-
spanning Hillary Trail, crosses a boggy area
at the lake’s far end…where a waterfall-
laden stream begs some adventurous
upriver exploring. Bring sandals so you can
explore upstream to find your own personal
Wainamu waterfalls waterfall skinny-dip oasis.
DRIVING: On the road to Piha,from Arataki VisCtr continue 5km
west then turn right (north) onto Scenic Rd. Go about 10km and
look for signed Te Henga Rd branching to the left. Before you get
to the road-end carpark, note the Te Henga track/ Wainamu Lake
track carpark just past the bridge, about 1km before the beach.
81
 D4 PIHA BEACH
(Say: Pee-hah)

waitakere's most popular beach (Say: Why-tackery)

Difficulty: Dangerous swimming,
easy/difficult tracks

Google
Coords -36.954617 174.474342 OBSCUR-O-METER

Piha is the centerpiece

of Waitakere’s beaches.
Piha is where the most White’s Beach
Track
“action” is, Piha is funky,
Piha is proud. Piha is
“Endless Summer” surf
on the wild wild West Lion Rock
Track
Waitakere

Coast. Of the Waitakere

beaches, Piha has the
only commercialization…
Campground
but only in a minor low-key
way. You can get some
fish ‘n’ chips, a pint or
two, a coffee, donut or ice
cream, and maybe rent a surfboard. There’s a great campground within a
walk to the beach. That’s it. Long live Piha…I love it!
Piha is definitely the most beautiful Wai-tak beach to drive to—as the
road descends there are a couple of pull-offs that showcase Piha in its
blacksand ‘n’ aquamarine surf glory—one of the West Coast’s must-stop
photo-ops! Once down at the Piha Stream you’ve got three options. Turn
left for the popular Surf Club beach. Straight is the campground, mini-mart,
cafe, and the long northern beach. A right turn onto Glen Esk Rd leads to
the bush tracks trailhead.
Here’s some explorations:
Lion Rock. The
distinctive monolith
that divides the
beach and kicks
up the waves.
A short-stepped
track heads up
the lion’s back.
For a photo of the
reclining “lion”,
you need to be at
the south beach
viewpoints. Midday
photos suck when Lion Rock (5 pm sun)
the lion is backlit, but...at sunset the light creeps around the lion’s mane
and, Whoa, the lion roars to life!

82
The Gap. Quite aston-
ishing! Head 10 min-
utes over the south
viewpoint headland, or
at low tide just rock-
hop into the Gap. At low
tide the Gap is a sandy
beach hidden between Sandy
towering rocks with a pool
neat cave to explore. At
mid tide the waves bash
at the Gap’s mouth in
an impressive show of “The Gap” at low tide
spray. At high tide the
Gap is a heavenly calm swimming pool. Don’t miss it!
White’s Beach. From the very north
end of Piha Beach a short signed

Waitakere
track heads up and over to this
secluded beach. At the saddle an
adventure track heads steeply down
while the upper track descends
more gently. Interesting tide pools
and sea caves await. From White’s
saddle remote Anawhata Beach is
about 2km more.
Kitekite Falls. This waterfall may be
Piha’s most overlooked charm. No
signage at the beach indicates the
abundance of track options at the
end of Glen Esk Rd. A mapboard at
the Glen Esk carpark shows all the
network of trails—make sure you
take a photo of it before starting out.
Kitekite Falls is a true stunner! The
lookout bench on the Byers track
You
displays the 3-tiered falls in all its
90m glory. The Byers track makes
a loop (20-30 minutes to the falls).
Lengthen your adventure by heading
to the top of the falls or maybe over
to Home track or Piha Valley track.
90m Kitekite Falls

DRIVING: Piha Beach takes some good map-reading skills to get

to from Auckland. The way is twisty,slow, and often confusing,
so pack some patience…but you can get from the airport to Piha
Beach in just 45 minutes.
Head towards West Lynn/Titirangi and just past the one-
stoplight Titirangi village, at the roundabout, take the second left
turn onto the Scenic Rd signed to Piha. From there it’s 25 winding
kms to the beach, passing the must-see Arataki VisCtr on the way.

83
 D5 KAREKARE BEACH
ROMANTIC BEACH/BUSH TRACKS
Walk: Moderate tramping loops
• Maps on website
Google
Coords -36.986266 174.479238 OBSCUR-O-METER

Karekare Beach is
the quiet and romantic
neighbor of busier
Piha. The romance of
Karekare stems from
no commercialization
at the beach, a 10 The Piano
Waitakere

minute walk to get

to the sand (thus no
carpark hubbub at the
beach), and 1993’s
The Piano film, which
shot scenes on this
beach. All told, KK
Beach offers a much
mellower scene than Piha. Watching a sunset from KK’s dunes is serene…
just sun, sand, and surf…no hoons nor horns. Nice. KK’s happening surf
scene is at the north end of the beach, so if you want quiet and solitude
simply head south.
Around the south head-
land the lonely blacksand
stretches 8km to Whatipu.
This windswept beach
seems to call out to the artist/
naturist/soul-searching
types. Don’t be surprised
to find naked sunbathers
sauntering southward.
The charm of Karekare
is not all just beach though—
its fern-jungle bush tracks
are worth a good walking
too.

Try these:
Karekare Falls/Waiwera
Lookout. Just up the road
past the beach carpark you’ll
find the short track to the
idyllic namesake waterfall.
From the falls a 2km loop
84
track heads up to the
200m viewpoint then back
down to KK road.
Comans/Mercer Bay/
Ahu Ahu loop. This loop
track tours the cliff tops
north of KK. The track
begins at the end of the
short road just before
(north) of the beach
carpark. The Comans
track climbs steeply to a
perfect view over all of
KK…then continues to Tunnel Point
a ridge with views down
onto Mercer Bay’s hidden-ness…before junctioning with the Ahu Ahu track
where a right turn will loop you back to the start.

Waitakere
Zion Hill/Pararaha Stream/KK beach loop. This 2-hour mod/difficult
loop is fantastic—a little of everything in one neat package. First some
views over KK beach, then a tour of thick Kauri ricker/ fern jungle, then a
planked walkway out to the Pararaha dunes, followed by a dune/beach
walk punctuated by a historic
tramway tunnel. Classic!!
Details: Find the Zion Hill track
on the south side of the carpark
and climb to 272m Mt. Zion.
Stay right at Ridge junction,
then right onto Buck Taylor
down to the planked walkway.
It’s probably muddy/wet here,
so take off your shoes now
because you’ll have to wade
knee-deep to get to the dunes
anyway. Go right atop the dune
about 10 minutes to the tunnel
(see Whatipu entry for history.)
Head out to the beach and back
to KK. (Note: Whatipu is about
a 90-minute beach walk south
from Pararaha.)

DRIVING: From Arataki VisCtr head west towards Piha then turn
left down the signed Karekare Rd for the steep narrow descent to
the beach. A mapboard at the beach shows the walking tracks.

85
 D6 WHATIPU BEACH
(Say: Fah-ti-poo)

remote historic beach

Walk: Moderate walks, tramps/explorations
• Bring: headlamp (for caves)
• Historic photos on website
Google
Coords -37.039479 174.507228 OBSCUR-O-METER

Whatipu is the
most remote of the Karekare
8km
Waitakere’s road-end Paratutae
beaches. Other than the Island
miles of beautiful solitude
found here, you’ll also
find a historically and
Waitakere

geologically fascinating
beach. In the late 1800s
an elevated railway was
built along the shoreline
cliffs, running from Piha
to Karekare and then to “Lemmings” viewpoint
Whatipu. The railway
carried Kauri from the nearby valleys to the busy wharf at Whatipu. What
makes this historic tramway even more interesting is the fact that it had to
be built against the cliffs and Whatipu caves because 100 years ago the
waves actually bashed up against cliffs most of the way north to Karekare.
Yup, all the marsh and dune from the caves out to the sea is all NEW land,
courtesy of the river of blacksand that moves up the coast from Taranaki.
Signs at the carpark detail this intriguing history.
Whatipu seems a beach for soul searching and retrospection…and for
local fishermen. There’s no surf scene like Piha, Karekare, or Bethells.
No Gannet watching or Ute hordes. Just great views, interesting historical
tidbits, giant landlocked “sea caves”, and a blissfully lonely “new” beach
stretching about 8km to Karekare.
Omanawanui/ Kura tramping loop. (Note: carpark map doesn’t show Kura
track.) This is an up/down 3-hour loop which provides an excellent workout
as well as a comprehensive
exploration of the Whatipu
uplands. In a nutshell, this
track undulates up and
down the hilltops above
Manukau Harbour for 90-
3-hour 120 minutes, crosses the
loop
road, drops to the stream
Lemmings and criss-crosses the
Lookout
stream through the fern
forest 45 minutes back to
the carpark. To do the entire

86
loop, the best way is
counter-clockwise
so you climb the hills
when you’re fresh,
then splash thru the
stream when you’re
sweaty.
For the track’s
start head through
the picnic area to
find the signed track
past the first bridge.
When you come out
on Whatipu Rd (90-
120 min), continue Historic Kauri RR
uphill a bit to find the continuing Kura downhill track.
Whatipu Lookout (Lemmings bench). A must-see! This is one of the

Waitakere
finest Tasman views in all the Waitakere. A 15-20 minute huff ‘n’ puff
climb on the Omanawanui track heads up to this spectacular view. Skip
the “Lookout House” spur track and keep going another 7 minutes to the
“Lemmings” bench atop the hill. Hooo…SWEET AS!! Whatipu Beach
curves below while Raglan’s jagged Mt. Karioi pokes up down the coast…
and if it’s clearclear you may even see pointy Mt.Taranaki floating out over
the Tasman Sea. Looking east there’s all of Manukau Harbour past the
airport to the distant Hunua range.
Whatipu Caves. These are a series of vast sea caves, now isolated from
the sea by the ever-growing sands of Whatipu. From the carpark an easy
track leads 15 minutes over to the caves. These caves had an amazing
history in the days of the Piha Tramway. The kiosk at the carpark details how
there was once a dance floor installed in the big cave, but now it’s buried
under 5 meters
of sand! (c’mon
DOC, dig!) Bring
a headlamp to
The Big Cave
explore the
back reaches
of these caves.
FYI, there’s no
beach access
from the caves.

Dance floor 5m below

DRIVING: From Titirangi head west and at the roundabout go

sharp left onto Huia Rd. From here it’s 30km to Whatipu beach,
the last 6km unsealed. The drive takes about 35 minutes from
Titirangi.
87
 Coromandel
E

E1 Karangahake Gorge
E2 Waitawheta Tramway
E3 Waihi Beach/Orokawa Beach Track
E4 Homunga Beach
E5 Pinnacles Loop Track
E6 Broken Hills
E7 Hot Water Beach
E8 Cathedral Cove
E9 Whitianga/Lonely Bay/Cooks Beach
E10 Coromandel Road 309
E11 Castle Rock
E12 Thames/Coromandel/Port Jackson Dr.
E13 Port Jackson Camp & Murawai Hilltop Walk
E14 Fletcher Bay Camp & Cormandel Walkway
E15 Waikawau Beach
88
COROMANDEL REGION
The Coromandel, so-named after a sailing ship, is a favorite
getaway spot for generations and generations of Kiwis, especially
Aucklanders. To me the Coromandel Peninsula is akin to a mini
version of the entire Northland (north of Auckland)…and thus its
appeal to North Island travelers. As a traveler you can hurry and “do”
the Coromandel in just two days, rather than the 3-5 day minimum
that an entire Northland loop would/should take.
Is a quicker Coromandel tour better than a longer Northland
loop? The Coromandel does feature two exquisitely unique natural
attractions—Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove. These are two
of the most unique spots on all the North Island, to be sure…but
they are also two of the most crowded spots on the island. In my
opinion, the rest of the Coromandel is a lesser and less-interesting
version of Northland. There are Kauris, but none like the Waipoua’s
(B4). There are beaches, but none as long, lonely, or epic as the Far
North’s. There is a waterfall or two, but wee trickles in comparison
to Northland’s (C2, C10). Coro’s got no grand dunes, no drive-on
beach, no iconic Maori legacy, no bays of islands, no glowworm
caves. E
So, in a nutshell, I’m not trying to say that the Coromandel
sucks…I’m just saying that for a traveler I think Northland offers bet-
ter rewards, unless you are on a too-tight time budget. If you are on
a hurry-thru North Island schedule and have no time for a tour north
of Auckland, then especially make time to cruise a loop through the
Coromandel before scurrying to Rotorua and southwards. In that
case the beaches of Coromandel, especially Cathedral Cove, are
gonna be as jaw-drop as you’ll find on a whirlwind hurried North
Island tour.
Even on a hurry-up schedule, make sure to plan a stop-in at
Karangahake Gorge, as its Windows Walk is maybe the finest short
historic walk in all of NZ!

Don’t Miss:
Hot Water Beach (E7)
Cathedral Cove (E8)
309 Road (E10)
Karangahake Gorge (E1)

89
 E1 KARANGAHAKE GORGE
(Say: Karanga-hah-key)

river gorges and goldfield ruins

Walk: Easy walks to difficult tramps

• Bring: headlamp torch

Google
Coords -37.422682 175.721492 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Karangahake Gorge

should win some sort of prize, as
it manages to merge SO much
into one compact area. There’s
warm rivers and swimming holes,
gold-mining ruins and relics,
tunnels requiring torches, swing
Waitawheta bridges over fern-draped gorges,
River swimmable waterfalls, and a
mountain-top viewpoint trig.
Windows Walk Whew! The natural beauty of
this gorge is remarkable—the Waitawheta River charges out of its steep
Coromandel

rocky canyon to merge with the Ohinemuri River right at the carpark. Just
minutes away, across some bridges, you’ll find a veritable outdoor gold-
mining museum—tunnels, stampers, stopes, tramways, bridges, dams…
and all sorts of other mining relics from the late 1800s.
Credit goes to DoC, who’ve done an AMAZING job preserving and
rehabilitating this historic site. Superb info panels throughout the walkways
detail the story of the incredible three million ounces of gold and silver
that was removed. Karangahake Gorge is truly the one spot on the North
Island where beauty, history and fun exploration all intermingle. Amazingly
though, most folks still only stop for a quick look-see on their way to the
beach…they cruise through the Windows
“Windows” then hurry on. Don’t be Walk
those folks—plan for some time
here.
Windows Walk. This is the area’s
most popular attraction. An easy
one-hour loop track packs in a heap
of sights, goldfield ruins and relics,
tramways, bridges, and info panels.
This is one of the island’s finest
short tracks. Bring a headlamp for
the short tunnels (a lighter will do in
a pinch.) At the carpark check the
mapboard, head over two bridges
then soon left and up the stairs. The
track goes through all the tunnels,
crosses the river, then returns on
the opposite side.

90
Railway Tunnel Loop. This is an hour-or-so walking loop connecting a
nice piece of riverside trail with a bunch of bridges and a walk through
a very-long semi-lighted railway tunnel located on the north side of the
highway. A flashlight is a must—the walk thru the RR tunnel is neat—kids
LOVE it!
Crown Track Tunnel Crown Track. (One hour one-way
to Dickey Flat). This is the moderate
Waitawheta riverside track that heads
upstream along the river from the
Windows walk to the Dickey Flat
campground, passing through a 180m
tunnel on the way. A flashlight is a must
for the tunnel! Along the way there
are plenty of swimming holes in the
Tunnel’s
Waitawheta, the best being right at the
End
tunnel entrance with a small waterfall.
Most people return the way they came,
but for a longer loop back you could take
the Dubbo/Number 7/Scotsman Gully
tracks to loop back to the carpark.
Karangahake Mountain Trig

Coromandel
Track. From the carpark it’s a Tunnel Hidden
sweaty 90 minutes up to the top Bore Pools
of the 544m peak. Of course,
sweet views await of the Pacific,
Paeroa, and the Firth of Thames.
It’s possible to make a loop Naked
down via the Number 7 track, Ladies
but it takes twice the time of
backtracking—you choose. Take
a photo of the mapboard before Crown Track
you go. Start up Scotsman’s
Gully and over to the Karangahake Mtn. track.
Owharoa Falls. (oh-fah-row-ah)
The signed falls are 5km east of
the K Gorge carpark on SH2. Turn
right, over the bridge and pull onto
the right-hand shoulder. Walk up
the road to find the short track to
the scenic falls.
Victoria Battery. Access this relic-
filled area from the bridge before
Owharoa Falls. Turn at the signs
and go 1km to carpark. Tons more
relics in this fascinating area, all
Owharoa Falls easily toured on a loop walk.

DRIVING: The main K Gorge carpark is clearly signed on SH2

between Paeroa and Waihi—about 7km east of Paeroa.
91
 E2 WAITAWHETA TRAMWAY/TWIN
GIANT KAURIS LOOP (Say: Why-taffetta)
HISTORY AND TWO MASSIVE KAURI TREES
Tramp: Moderate 2.5 hr, 13km loop incl. out/back extra
• Elevation trailhead: 155m
• Elevation
Google
Highpoint: 270m
Coords -37.46141 175.780894 OBSCUR-O-METER

This Waitawheta/Twin Kauris tramping loop features an easy jaunt

along a restored/interpreted Kauri-logging railway, as well as a rugged
side-loop up a hillside to visit two gargantuan Kauri trees. To do the Kauris
loop you must ford a stream twice, thus making this more of a tramp than
a walk. The Bluff Stream Twin Kauris are indeed impressive—definitely
the exclamation points of this outing!! (double exclamation points). For
perspective, I reckon that these two are the biggest viewable Kauris outside
of the Far North—far surpassing the trees on Coromandel’s 309 Rd, or
the Tuahu Kauri near Katikati.
The other part of this outing is alongside the pretty Waitawheta River
on the bed of an historic Kauri tramway/railway. DoC has refurbished this
tramway for easy walking and enlivened the route with numerous historic
Coromandel

panels which detail the hardships and toil involved in logging the Kauri
giants.

Massive Kauri

92
 Logging displays

Coromandel
In my opinion, were it not for the mammoth Twin Kauris, then the
tramway portion of this loop would be of less interest than either nearby
Karangahake (E1) or Waiorongomai (F4). But, if you’re a fan of truly
massive trees and gung-ho for some shallow stream crossings, then the
entire loop scores big points for both beauty and history.

Tramp (There’s a DoC map at the carpark.) From the carpark begin
thru the cow paddocks following orange DoC arrows for 2km. Once you
inter the bush you’ll take an immediate left at a sign for the Bluff Kauri
loop. Ford the shallow river here and begin a 40-minute (3.5km) climb
to the Kauris. After your gawk at the Twins, head down and cross Bluff
Stream and then the Waitawheta River again at a swimming hole location
called “The Devil’s Elbow”. After the river-crossing, a right turn would head
back to the carpark, but you should first go left at the Devil’s Elbow for an
extra 20-minute walk upstream along the great riverside track featuring a
swingbridge and displayed logging artifacts. This out/back portion ends
just past the bogie display at an unbridged river crossing (where the track
continues farther to a hut). From this unbridged crossing turn around and
return on the tramway back one-hour (4.5km) to the carpark.

DRIVING: The access is from the Owharoa Falls turn-off from the
SH2 highway thru Karangahake Gorge. 5km east of Karangahake
(or 1km west of Waikino Station) turn south onto Waitawheta Rd
across a one-lane bridge. Follow this road 4.5km and look for
Franklin Rd. Turn right onto Franklin and follow it 2km to the
end of public access where there’s a signed roadside carpark
for the track.
93
 E3 WAIHI BEACH/OROKAWA BEACH TRACK
(Say: Why-hee / Oro cow-ah)

coastal track to secluded beach

Walk: Moderate 50-minute (3km) one-way

• Bring: swimsuit
Google
Coords -37.395882 175.937635 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waihi Beach’s famed surf, sun,

and sand stretch forever, thus it
has always been a super-popular
Auckland getaway playground.
Historically Waihi Beach had miles
of soft sand, thus its attraction, but
now much of the soft sand has Sunrise and surf on Waihi Beach
washed-away, leaving a less-appealing tidal wetsand-type beach.
Orokawa Beach
Nowadays, the north
point of Waihi Beach is
where the adventure
begins. A marked track
Coromandel

starts at sand’s end

Waterfall Homunga and climbs quickly to
overlook the surfers at
the point break—pretty
cool. Lesser-known is
that this track continues
along the headland
ridges to deliver you
to the remote Orokawa
Beach. Orokawa is a
gem of a beach—soft sands backed by sprawling Pohutukawas….no
access except by foot. At its far end there are
rocks to explore with fun nooks, and a marked
DoC track tramping 20-30 minutes, criss-
crossing a stream numerous times, to sprinkly
William Wright Falls.
From Orokawa Beach you can also continue
the coastal track another hour to Homunga
William
Beach. This track is fabulous with views Wright
galore and Homunga Beach is a very worthy Falls
destination…though locals often take a short-cut
to get down to Homunga Beach more quickly
(E4).

DRIVING: From Waihi town on SH2 head south on SH2 for just
2km, then turn east onto signed Waihi Beach Rd, then 10km to
beach. Keep left at the beach village towards the signed surf
beach carpark at the north end.

94
 E4 HOMUNGA BEACH
BEACH COVE DELUXE
Walk: Moderate, but steep, 2km, 40-minute
descent one-way
• Elevation carpark: 240m
• Elevation beach: duh
Google
Coords -37.364928 175.923486 OBSCUR-O-METER

Homunga Beach is one of my

favorite beach coves in all of NZ.
First off, it’s a small soft-sand cove,
only about 300-400 meters long, and
it takes a substantial hike to access
it. The trek is either 90 minutes from
Waihi Beach (along the coastline
track), or a steep 40 minutes from
the locals’ carpark on the headland
hill above the beach. Thus, no
crowd, as 99.5% of people won’t Ridge Carpark
make this kind of effort, even for Shangri-La. Mostly the only folks you’ll

Coromandel
see at Homunga are a few weekend fishermen, the odd local family on a
weekend, or a naturist or two during sunny weekdays.
Ok, here come the superlatives: first, the walk down from Ngatitangata
Rd, though steep, is a visual delight. Views sweep from roughly Hawaiiki
to Mt Maunganui and beyond. Next, the sands of Homunga are soft and
dry, unlike Waihi’s hard-packed tidal sands. Thirdly, the beach waterfall!
After a good rain a stream spits off a 12m cliff right into your outstretched
arms…while morning sun may encircle you with a personal rainbow to boot.
Oh my! What is better
than a secluded beach
(no homes visible) where
you can take a fresh water
shower after a pleasant
swim in the Pacific??
Let’s see now…walk
down snapping pix the
entire way, arrive at beach,
strip, swim, shower, sun-
dry….repeat. Get it? When
you see me there say hi!
Beach waterfall

DRIVING: From Waihi town, head NE towards Whangamata.

Go just 1km then turn right onto Barry Rd and go 3km to a T
intersection, taking a left onto Golden Valley Rd. In 2.3km turn
right onto Ngatitangata Rd, which turns to gravel, and go 2.7km
to the road-end signed carpark. The marked DoC route begins
at a carpark sign.

95
 E5 PINNACLES LOOP TRACK
GORGEOUS VIEWPOINT PEAK AND HUT
Tramp: Difficult 5-7 hour (17km) loop
• Elevation carpark: 150m
• Elevation Pinnacles: 759m
Google
Coords -37.068372 175.666078 OBSCUR-O-METER

“There’s a lady who’s sure all that

glitters is gold, and she’s buying the
stairway to heaven.” Yup, Led Zep’s
signature song just about sums up all
the stairs on this VERTICAL tramp to
the 750m Pinnacles. If you’ve ever
tramped anywhere else on this island
and thought, “geez, this is a lot of
stairs,” then you’ve yet been to The
Pinnacles. OK, enough dire warning.
From Thames the access road ascends
NE up into the Kauaeranga Valley.
Coromandel

Formerly these valley hills were a

Kauri wonderland. No more…now it’s Billygoat incline...ouch!
a tramping/camping land of tracks,
relics, and towering rocky crags in the regenerating forest. The valley is
typical NZ bush, but upwards towards the Pinnacles you’ll gawk at lofty
canyon walls, volcanic plugs, jutting rocks, and ribboning waterfalls…
sheer geologic drama! There’s a new-ish VisCtr along the access road
with fabulous photo displays of the local Kauri-logging days—a must-see.
The Pinnacles loop is sorta like Coromandel’s version of the Tongariro
Crossing, though without any publicity. On summer weekends you can
expect plenty of company at the Pinnacles Hut, but weekdays are fairly
lonely. I wouldn’t go at Xmas/New Year’s time, as it’s a zoo.

300m!

Billygoat Falls The lip of Billygoat Falls

(CanyoNZ’s “Sleeping God” canyoning trip)
96
 Tramp The Pinnacles loop
is a serious tramp, passing by
a seriously nice hut on the way
to the ladder-route that enables
you to reach the jagged summit.
There are two options to get to
the hut—either the Webb Track
or the Billygoat Track. Most hut-
bound trampers go up Webb Creek
because it’s about 30-45 minutes
shorter to the Hydro junction (where
the two tracks meet). Most guides
recommend this route, but most
guides somehow overlook the side
Stairs above Hydro camp path on the Billygoat track that leads
to adventurous fun at the lip of
massive Billygoat (Atuatumoe) Falls (the North Island’s highest waterfall).
Here’s the route I like: from the carpark backtrack 200m on the road
and head up the Billygoat track, first crossing the long swingbridge of the
high-water detour. From the swing you’ll have a one-hour 300m climb up
the Billygoat Incline. At the top of the refurbished/historic RR incline you’ll
get some views of the waterfall and an interpretive sign. The track levels

Coromandel
out a bit and crosses through the “short trestles” gully. After this gully look
sharp for an obvious trail that angles left to the stream above the goliath
waterfall. Of course this side-track isn’t on the track map…it’s too good!
There are cascades and pools to splash in, and if
the water is low you can rock-hop downstream for
5 minutes to stand at the lip of the North Island’s
highest unsung waterfall. Way cool! After a spritz
‘n’ snack continue another easier hour over to the
Hydro Jct. From Hydro it’s 30-minutes of steep to
the hut, then 30 more to the peak.. Near the hut
make sure to scout-out the refurbished Dancing
Creek Kauri dam—it’s the best example of a
Kauri dam in NZ.
Returning from the peak and hut you’ll take
a right at the Hydro Jct to descend via the Webb
Track. Once back down on the valley floor make
sure you make the extra effort to see the Billygoat
Falls viewpoint, as it’s the only view you’ll get of
the entire Billygoat waterfall. To the peak...
into the cloud

DRIVING: Just south of Thames town center on SH25 is the signed

road into Kauaeranga Valley. Go 10km of pavement, then 3 more
gravel to the Visitor Center. Get all maps and info at the
VisCtr—there are no trailhead mapboards. Now head 9km more
on the gravel road, passing various camps and tracks, to the
road-end carpark/campground. The Billygoat Track starts 200m
before the road-end at a small signed carpark.

97
 E6 BROKEN HILLS
BUSH TRACKS THROUGH MINING TUNNELS
Walk: Easy walks/difficult tramps
• Bring: headlamp torch
• Elevation carpark: 30m
• Elevation Collins drive: 250m
Google
Coords -37.105234 175.738165 OBSCUR-O-METER

Guess how excited I get

hearing of a 500m gold mining
tunnel that you walk through on
a historic loop track? Yup, way
excited! But even better, upon
arriving at the Broken Hills, I find a
mapboard detailing all sorts of fun-
sounding places like “water race
track,” “Gem of the Boom,” and
“Government Battery waterfall”.
These tracks are excellent and
the Broken Hills are definitely
Coromandel

an under-appreciated area. The

“Collins Drive” tunnel makes
Karangahake’s (E1) seem like a Carpark map
baby. Need I say more? Ok, how
about a good hilltop lookout/lunch spot, plentiful swimming holes in the
slow-flowing Tairoa River, tons of cheap DoC camping, and a waterfall
exploring adventure up a steep stream canyon. Good fun for off-the-beaten-
track adventurers here.
The best easy walks are the “Water race track/tunnels” and the “Gem
of the Boom.” Both are detailed on the campground mapboards. The
Gem’s jail is pretty cool. If you are keen for an adventure tramp, then the
Collins Drive loop is sweet. Make sure to bring a flashlight—there’s no
way you’ll get through the 500m
Collins Drive mining tunnel without
one. This tramper’s track has
plenty of stairs, roots, and steeps
as it ascends through the tunnel
up about 250m to a lookout. If
you’re fit, then have a go…it’ll only
take you about 90 minutes plus
stopping time at the lookout and
tunnels. The historic perspective
is wowing…it’s tough enough to
tramp up here, but imagine having
to haul mining gear every day! Best
to do the loop clockwise through
the water race tunnels first, then
up to Collins Drive, then the lookout
Water race tunnels for a break. (And, thanks DOC for
98
 the view-holes
in Collins’ side
tunnels, they’re
a nice touch.)
Once you’re
back at camp, a
swimming hole
and a beer might
be the ticket…
but if you want
more adventure
find the Gov’t
Battery waterfall
and start picking
Collins Drive far end
your way up-
stream. You’ll
have to climb and scramble and slosh, but you’ll find an entire canyon of
small waterfalls and pools begging to be basked in.

NOTE: If you’re heading to Hot Water, Hahei, Cathedral Cove, etc and the
weather sucks…then stop here first for a day and explore the tunnels and
history—doesn’t matter if it’s grey out. Then, hope for sunshine tomorrow

Coromandel
for Cathedral Cove.

More falls

Dive into Gov’t Battery Falls

Inside Collins

DRIVING: Note: the road to Broken Hills is poorly signed. Coming

over the hill from Thames, the left turn is 2km past the signed
junction to Whangamata—at the petrol station/junction to Pauanui.
From the north, the Broken Hills access road is about 13km
south of Tairua on SH25A at the signed turn to Pauanui (look
sharp because there is no big DOC sign advertising this place.)
From SH25A it’s 8km more with a bit of unsealed to the road-end
carpark and campground.

99
 E7 HOT WATER BEACH
HOT SPRINGS BUBBLING INTO BEACH

• Bring: newspaper tide chart, spade, bathing suits

Google
Coords -36.888626 175.823805 OBSCUR-O-METER

Kiwi
Experience
Bus Dairy
Carpark
Coromandel

Happy Hour at Hot Water

As touristy and overcrowded as this tourism “hot spot” can be, it’s still
one of the most unique natural attractions in all of New Zealand. Scalding
water actually pulses out of the sand at low tide. Rent a spade from the
beach shop, dig a pit near the surging hot flow, and voilá, a spa pool just
meters from the surf. In summer the hard part isn’t finding where to dig,
but rather how to find a space to dig amongst the hundreds of foreign
visitors. Don’t arrive at Hot Water Beach
thinking you may share this unique place
with just a few kindred souls. Nope, not
gonna happen. Hot Water Beach is on
every tourist map, every backpacker
bus itinerary, and featured in every
guidebook.
Go with no expectation of any
solitude or privacy you’ll have a great
time. This is a group hot pool carnival
beach…young hard bodies and bikinis…
hairy backs and arm pits…wrinkled
geriatrics…every nationality and all their
stereotypic quirks…young and old…all
on display. Laugh at the cute girls with
Carpark bikini scalded beet-red bums hahaha. Laugh
100
 7am – no crowds

at Euro men in bikinis…giggle at the gaggle of Asians...shudder at the

overly loud Americans…fun fun fun.
Here’s the well-publicized need-to-know details: you can only dig
a pool within two hours of low tide, so check a newspaper/online or at
an I-site to find out when to go. The dairy at the carpark will also know

Coromandel
the tides, and they’ll rent you a cheap-as spade to dig with. Swimming
at this beach can be dangerous, as the rip currents catch the unwary in
their frightening whoosh out to sea. When low tide happens in the middle
of the afternoon, that’s when this beach is the most crowded. If low tide
happens at night or near dawn…then it may be like NZ was 25 years ago
before books like this were written.

Hot water surging

through incoming tide

DRIVING: On SH25, 16km north of Tairua, turn onto signed Hot

Water Beach Rd (same road to Hahei and Cathedral Cove). Go
5km and stay right at signs, then 3km more to road-end carpark.

101
 E8 CATHEDRAL COVE
NZ'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH
Walk: Moderate 30-minute (2km) one-way

• Note: archway now has warning signs

Google
Coords -36.833672 175.798965 OBSCUR-O-METER

This beach wins!

Yup, it’s the most
beautiful small beach
on the entire island—
and that’s saying a
lot. Of course you’ve
seen pictures of this
cove, hasn’t everyone?
Still...nothing prepares
you for the amount of
beauty squeezed into
such a small beach.
Coromandel

Get there early—this

The classic photo-op east-facing beach
loves morning light, as
late afternoon is all shadow. (If you want to get classic photos of yourself
inside the cave looking out at the white rock, get there early—about 9 to
10am, before the crowds and when the rock has good sunlight on its east
face.)
As nice as Cathedral Cove is though, it has awful problems with over-
crowding. The small carpark can’t fit but a fraction of the people attempting
to visit. Xmas/New years is even worse, as seemingly everyone in NZ tries
to get to this small beach…yikes! My favorite time to visit is about 9am on
a weekday…or go when it’s raining and skip the sunning thing and instead
hide-out in the cave passage with your portable coffee-maker.

102
 Waterfall

Sea caves

On sunny summer days come prepared to spend the whole afternoon

down at the cove. Bring a pack with food and sunscreen and drink because
you won’t want to walk the steep track back up if you forget.
Here’s some fun stuff to do: swim out to the flat rock and dive off, looking

Coromandel
for the swim-thru underwater bridge on the rock’s south end. Along the
southern cliff swim out and explore the swim-into sea caves where you
can swim/wade into each one to find secret dry sand beaches—neat. Play
in the waves…then, once you’re ready
to chill out and lay down to catch some
rays…first head over to the south wall to
The
waterfall rinse off under the hard-to-see sprinkling
waterfall. Ahhh, Mother Nature has
outdone herself here!
Sea cave beach

Having a rinse

DRIVING: Beware: the carpark often fills to brimming EVERY

summer day by about 10am.
Cathedral Cove is just north of Hahei. You can park at Hahei
beach and walk, but it’s shorter if you turn off Hahei Beach Rd onto
Grange Rd and drive to the further official carpark. On crowded
days you’ll have to walk from Hahei Beach.

103
 E9 WHITIANGA/LONELY BAY/
COOK’S BEACH
LIKE CATHEDRAL COVE JUNIOR

• Hidden gem
Google
Coords -36.827513 175.730458 OBSCUR-O-METER

Whitianga is the main bustling city of the Coromandel, mostly revolving

around boating and fishing. As far as scenic beauty and interesting
places to explore, Whitianga is in the middle of everything Coromandel-
wise, even though there’s really little to see in Whitianga itself. Seems
popular nonetheless for its natural harbor, long bayfront “Buffalo Beach,”
restaurants, pubs, and big grocery stores.
Coromandel

For the visitor, the best thing to do in Whitianga is leave it—take the
$2 pedestrian ferry a few hundred meters over to the eastern dock to go
explore Cooks Beach, Lonely Bay, and the Shakespear Cliffs. From the
dock it’s an easy 15-minute walk to the Shakespear Cliffs, and it’s just
another 10 minutes to the start of long and lovely Cooks Beach. A hidden
nugget of sweet beach is Lonely Bay. To find it you have to walk or drive
up to the signed Shakespear Cliffs viewpoint and descend to the beach
on the marked track…or at the west end of Cook’s Beach you can cross
the stream and find a marked track to the hidden Lonely Bay cove. Little
miss Lonely is nestled quaintly between Shakespear’s white cliffs—sort of
like a mini Cathedral Cove. The placid bay waters invite swimming, boat-
watching, and Pohutukawa lounging. Lonely Bay has none of the crowds
like Cathedral Cove, so if the hordes have put you off of a Cathedral visit,
then come give Lonely Bay a try….I’m sure you’ll LOVE it!
At Cook’s Beach what you’ll find is a long crescent of sand backed
by a whole village of bach homes. Nobody is around it seems except on
weekends when the jafas return to their weekend roosts. A little secret I
discovered one day is a hidden cave-cove just a 60m swim out from the
western end of the beach. Local kids love this little swim-in cave, but I
only “discovered” it when I saw the local cave-touring boat mysteriously
disappear into the seemingly-solid rocky cliff. Whoa, I swam out as soon
as the boat left, and whaddaya know…a secret cave with a skylight and
a stand-able rock in the middle/back left. If you’re adventurous, swim out
and have a look!
104
 Lonely Bay

Coromandel

“Shakespear
Crossing”

DRIVING: Whitianga is easy to find on the map. To drive to Cooks/

Lonely/Shakespear drive as to Cathedral Cove but then keep going
about 10km past the Hahei turn-off. Just past Cook’s Beach is
the signed access to Shakespear/Lonely.

105
 E10 COROMANDEL ROAD 309
a well-made gravel 23km short- cut road
Walk: Easy tracks

Google East end: -36.858835 175.647475

Coords West end: -36.789159 175.511651
OBSCUR-O-METER

Road 309 is the “secret”

bush road from Whitianga to
Coromandel Town. The road
climbs over Waiau saddle and
saves about half the time and
distance of taking SH25 to
Coromandel Town. Plus, the
road has lots of great places
to stop and commune with
glorious Coromandel nature.
The road starts 5km south of
Whitianga and ends 3km south
Coromandel

of Coromandel Town.
There are a few different
attractions along the route worth
a stop. The first stop, coming
from Whitianga is the Kauri
A dip in Waiau
walk carpark (about 15km from
Whitianga side). This is a short loop walk to some huggable giants. Next
up, just 1km past the Kauris is Waiau Falls, a 7m cascade sparkling into
a swimmable pool—so nice for a hot-day dip. A few more kms down the
road is the forestry road signed to Castle Rock (described in the next entry).
Then comes Waiau Waterworks—a weird and wonder-filled place that’ll
definitely tweak your funny bone (about $ 20pp). Finally, after 23km you’ll
junction with SH25 south of Coromandel Town.

Kauri walk
106
 E11 CASTLE ROCK
SHORT STEEP TRAMP TO VIEWPOINT PEAK
Tramp: Difficult 25-mins of steep roots ‘n’ rocks
• Elevation trailhead: 350m
• Elevation peak: 500m
Google
Coords -36.807648 175.561836 OBSCUR-O-METER

Castle Rock is a sheer rocky crag just off the

309 Road. The tramping track up to the peak is
unsigned and not maintained by DoC, and thus
gets little tourism publicity, and thus little use
other than by some in-the-know locals. Wow
though, the view is very worth the steep-but-short effort!
The track itself is
pure tramping—all roots,
rocks, and vines the
entire way up. If you are
fit and nimble, this sort
challenge will be fun…

Coromandel
but if you are clumsy
Steep
and fat, then you’ll curse
tramp
both me and this steep
track .
At the top, expect
views stretching from
Auckland to forever. Make sure to Endless views
bring an area map. Waiheke Island
dominates the westward view, and
also look for Rangitoto Island’s pointy
cone rising beyond it…and look
left of Rangitoto to spot far-distant
Auckland Sky Tower. Oh, the view
east isn’t shabby either. ’Nuff said.

DRIVING: The signed Castle access road is on Road 309, 5km

east from the Coromandel Town junction, immediately east of
Waiau Waterworks. Coming from the east, the access road is
about 2.5km past (west) the Kauri carpark.
Turn up the dirt/gravel forestry road (there may/may not be a
Castle Rock sign here). You’ll go 3km up this steep road—NOT
SUITABLE FOR LARGE CLUNKY MOTORHOMES—with views of
Castle Rock looming ahead at road turns. At the 3km mark, at
the base of Castle Rock, you’ll see an unsigned large red-clay
left-side pullout that was once the carpark but nowadays is too
rutted….so pull past this distinctive spot and park 50m further
on the wide road shoulder. There’s no track/parking signage at
all. The unsigned tramping path begins steeply at the back of the
red-clay roadside flat area.
107
 E12 THAMES/COROMANDEL/
PORT JACKSON DRIVE
FAVORITE COASTAL DRIVE
Google
Coords
North end: -36.476203 175.351748
South End: -37.123808 175.530854 OBSCUR-O-METER

This scenic stretch of coastal roadway is one of the best the North Island
has to offer! No other coastal road comes even close to this road’s length
of shore-hugging…not Taranaki’s Surf Highway, not Cape Palliser’s Ngawi
Road. The only route maybe comparable is the route along Whangarei
Harbour out to Ocean Beach (C13-C17).
Afternoon sunshine is best on this route because it’ll light up the trees
and hillsides ahead. From Thames to Port Jackson is about 115km. Driving
north the road becomes more magnificent as you go…blue waters, islands,
bays, coves, trees, lookouts…NICE! Take a break in Coromandel Town,
then up to Colville’s “Last Chance Market” to stock up before the final
30km gravel section up to Port Jackson and Fletcher Bay. If you get all
the way to DoC’s Fletcher Bay—the proverbial “end of the road”…you at
Coromandel

least deserve a nice swim! Or, Port Jackson’s campground beach often
has sand dollars for those looking for a souvenir from their scenic drive.

Paved road to Coromandel

108
Gravel road to Port Jackson

Coromandel
Here are a couple of places most people want to visit when they’re
in Coromandel Town:
Tokatea Lookout (Lucas’s). This lookout is located 4 twisty and steep
kms up the road (towards Kennedy Bay) from the Driving Creek railway.
Without a doubt this is the Coromandel’s finest viewpoint—the one on SH25
doesn’t even compare! There’s an optional short steep hike up to the point.
Driving Creek Railway. Deservedly popular (more than 30,000 visitors
per year—one million visitors in 22 years!)…so popular in fact that you
better call ahead to make a reservation: 07 866-8703...costs about $25pp.

Stock up in Colville
109
 E13 PORT JACKSON CAMP AND
MURIWAI HILLTOP WALK
PREMIER BEACH AND RIDGETOP VISTAS
Hike: Easy/Mod 30-minute one-way (1.5km)
• Bring: spare tire
Google
Coords -36.472100 175.366628 OBSCUR-O-METER

Port Jackson beach is a super-popular DoC camping beach at the tip-top

of the Coromandel, accessed by a beautiful, yet laborious, 25km gravel
road from Colville. The charms of PJ beach are many, so much so that
the expansive beachside camp area is usually crammed to capacity all
December and early Jan.( check DoC’s online reservation system, or
better yet just skip it in that too-crowded period.) The beach is a welcoming
crescent of hard-packed sand at low tides, perfect for long casual beach
walking. Extra fun is to close your eyes and see how far you can walk (or
even run) with your eyes closed. With eyes open, keep them peeled to
find rare-in-NZ sand dollars on the beach.
Coromandel

Port Jackson Beach

Muriwai Hilltop Walk

Both PJ and Fletcher DoC camps allow campfires in fire rings scattered
around the camps. The trick is…there’s no firewood to be found for miles,
as it has already been scavenged. The trick is to gather-up some wood
on the drive in, as the shoreline along the road if rife with driftwood. Do
what NZ Frenzy does and get wood as you drive...it isn’t that hard and
you’ll be glad when you’ve got wood.
The Muriwai Hilltop walk is signed at the eastern end of Port Jackson
Beach and ascends to the hilly ridge where it then wanders the ridgeline
for 1.5km before ending at an upper carpark trailhead along the road to
Fletcher Bay. This too-short track is pure bang-for-the-buck in terms of
sweeping panoramic vistas. This is the kind of walking track that you just
wish wouldn’t end. The entire length of the walk features sumptuous views
over the island-studded Pacific stretching northwards from the tip of the
Coromandel. Here are some fun things to look for: dolphins, mermaids,
whales, orcas…and even possibly King Neptune pulled in his water
110
 Campground

Muriwai views

chariot by a herd of hippocampi.(Neptune was only seen once, at night,

and Frenzy did trip over a bunch of empty 8% Woodies trying to get a
better look from the beach camp . Perhaps it wasn’t Neptune after all,
but possibly a fishing boat.)
More to the point, every
Great Barrier Island

Coromandel
view from the Muriwai track
is wow. Extra credit if you Port Jackson
find the off-trail rough Beach
path up to the “land’s end”
point above PJ beach with
even better views than the
main track. Start the track
either at PJ beach, or at
the signed upper carpark a
couple Km along the road
to Fletcher Bay.

Looking down from

the road’s summit

DRIVING: Access to Port Jackson is a gravel 25km drive from

Colville, suitable for most any 2WD car. Expect both potholes on
the road and sweeping catch-your-breath vistas.

111
 E14 FLETCHER BAY CAMP AND
COROMANDEL WALKWAY
STUNNING CAMP, STUNNING WALK
Hike: Mod 5.5km (80-100 min) one-way,
or 10km one-way (2.5 hours)
• Elevation: 0-160m. Total gain to lookout = 300m
Google
Coords -36.476888 175.390921 OBSCUR-O-METER

Fletcher Bay DoC camp is at the very end of the gravel road, 5km past
Port Jackson. While Fletcher is near PJ, the two areas are completely
different. Fletcher is a “more interesting” cove with more interesting views.
There’s no endless flat-sand beach like at PJ, but there are rocks and
headlands offering more to investigate. Fletcher feels more moody and
secretive than wide-open PJ. Over the hill from the camp is a secluded
sand beach as well as some interesting low-tide reef shelves to explore.
Of the two camps, NZ Frenzy, ever the curious, favors Fletch.
Just like Port Jackson, expect dire Dec/early Jan overcrowding.
Perhaps don’t even try to go the two weeks either side of Xmas, but if
you are willing to make that mistake, then be sure to make a reservation.
Coromandel

Coromandel Walkway. This walk contours the ridges between Fletcher

Bay and Stony Bay, sporting tremendous coastal views almost the entirety
of its 10km length. Lots of people walk this track as a one-way shuttle-
supported outing (over $100pp), but you definitely don’t have to do the
shuttle thing if you are more of a DYI-er (Google the shuttle services for
deets).

Swim beach and

reef beyond Fletcher

112
 Lookout

Track

Coromandel
Walkway

Coromandel
Here’s the DYI deal: The 5.5km south from Fletcher are 100% more
scenic than the 4.5 km north from Stony. The scenic stretch south from
Fletcher culminates at a sweet 360° view-knoll, so this is a great turn-back
point for a superior out/back day hike. You could continue all the way the
next 4.5km to Stony Bay, but the views are limited on this section of track
(some people like it because it is a birdsong-rich shaded bush tunnel).
So, you get to choose—do either an 11km out/back to the lookout, or the
full 20km out/back to Stony.(Note, you can also walk this track north from
Stony Bay, but to Frenzy everything is better starting at Fletcher.
Thus, walking from Fletcher the seaside views abound from the get-go,
but be warned that the initial 130m you climb in the first 2km is “given back”
because you descend to sea level again at tiny Poley Bay. From Poley
you then have to re-ascend the 130m…where the track then commences
to contour easily across the ridges with smashing photogenic views all the
way to the signed viewpoint spur-track.

Note Maps and info about this walkway indicate an upper Mtn Bike
route that looks like it could be used to create a loop. Don’t do this. Frenzy
tried it and cursed the Mtn Bike route the entire 12km back to Fletcher—it’s
gruelingly steep and not worth the paltry views. FYI, I’d never Mtn Bike it
either as it’s all toil and no fun.

DRIVING: See entry E13. Fletcher Bay is 5km past Port Jackson,
passing the signed Muriwai Track along the way. Make a stop
at a roadside overlook of the Pinnacles where you’ll also find a
viewpoint plaque pointing-out all the local sights.

113
 E15 WAIKAWAU BEACH
(Say: Why-ka wow)

explorable beach
Walk: Moderate tracks

Google
Coords -36.606372 175.539088 OBSCUR-O-METER

Little Bay Campground Matamataharakeke Dunes Lagoon

Man oh man, I love this beach…lots to explore, lots of fun potential.

The beach itself is a gorgeous 3km-long crescent of soft pinkish sand with
scenic rocks on both ends and a tidal lagoon in the middle. You’ll find great
Coromandel

snorkeling at either end of the beach. Waikawau may pack out during
the Xmas holidays, but past Waitangi Day (Feb 6th-ish) this bay is far
less busy. The south end is the popular end because of the campground
there, but a walk to the far north end (or a faster drive to the road-bend
grassy carpark) makes for great romance. Bring your sweetie, a blanket
and a bottle of wine. Wade the river mouth and climb up the rocks to the
perfect grassy perch…ahhh, the sun setting over the hills, waves breaking
in circles at your feet, mmmmm, love. Calm day on the bay?? At the north
end of the beach is a sign for hire kayaks (at the farm)—a totally excellent
way to explore north to the seldom-seen coastline.
Matamataharakeke Track. This may be the funnest-to-say track
name in NZ! The track also leads to the best lookout in the area.
From the campground (where there’s a mapboard) it’s 60-80

To Colville
X
View

Camp

114
 View from Matamataharakeke

minutes to the 300m top. The first half is easy along the stream, but the
second half is pretty steep. When you get to the sign for the Ridge Track
keep left for 10 more steep minutes. The lookout is worth it—Kennedy
Bay to the south, Colville Bay to the west...Waikawau below...wow. The
Ridge track back down to the camp is steep and only takes 40 minutes.

Little Bay. Don’t miss this little pearl just a short drive south of Waikawau.

Coromandel
Head to the east end to the tiny cove and look for the “Kiwi Zone” trapper’s
trail. This tramp’ll take 7 minutes to the ridge view…but keep going 7 more
to a much better viewpoint. Wau, ooooh look, Haupapa Bay. Details for
this track are available at the Little Bay Pak ‘n’ Save (hahaha).

Matamataharakeke

Little Bay

Waikawau Beach

Little Bay’s viewpoint

DRIVING: By far the best way to get to Waikawau is via Colville

(the Tuateawa road from Kennedy Bay is unsealed and damn
dangerous in places). The west-side road (Coromandel-Colville-
Waikawau) is a pleasure. Head north from Coromandel Town
25km to Colville (get all supplies here). Keep north then turn
right at signs for Port Charles…4 km over the pass, then turn
right for Waikawau.

115
 Bay of Plenty /Rotorua
F

F1 Mt. Maunganui F12 Whaka-rewa-rewa Viewpoint Trk

F2 Kaiate Falls F13 Waimangu Thermal Valley
F3 Tuahu Kauri F14 Rainbow Mountain
F4 Waiorongomai Valley F15 Kerosene Creek
F5 Wairere Falls F16 Kaingaroa Maori Carvings
F6 Otanewainuku Scenic Reserve F17 Waikite Valley Thermal Pools
F7 Hamurana Springs Loop F18 Waterfall Spout Bath
F8 Okere Falls/Kaituna Rapids F19 Mud Pool
F9 Waitangi Soda Hot Springs F20 Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Pk
F10 Lake Tarawera East Shore F21 Hot-Cold Hot Spring
F11 Rotorua for Free F22 Butcher’s Pool

116
BAY OF PLENTY/ROTORUA REGION
Bay of Plenty
The B.O.P. has plenty indeed. Sunshine and warm waters are
its main draw at beaches from Waihi to Mt Maunganui and down
through Whakatane. The inland attractions of this area-of-plenty are
lesser-known to travelers, but still worth a look if you’ve got some time.
The area doesn’t feature any of the North Island’s iconic and uber-
promoted attractions, except possibly the newly (2012) rejuvenated
Hobbiton at middle-of-nowhere Matamata…which, with its now-painted
Hobbit doors, has jumped to the top of many travelers’ must-see list.
Traveler-wise, Mt Maunganui is the center of the action in the B.O.P.,
especially since cruise ships now dock there.
Rotorua
Rotorua is often considered the center of the North Island tourism
scene. Affectionately known as RotoVegas to locals…because in some
ways it may resemble the Las Vegas Strip with its seemingly endless
Roto Motel Strip. Make no mistake, when you first enter RotoVegas
and see the miles o’ motels you will feel like a tourist. BUT, as touristy
as Rotorua may feel…this city is a MUST-SEE as it is undoubtedly
surrounded by some of the world’s most fascinating geothermal phe-
nomena, as well as NZ’s hub of visitor-oriented Maori population.
I LOVE Rotorua, but no so much RotoVegas. I like the distinctive
scent of rotten-egg sulphur in the air, but I dislike tour buses belching
their hordes. I love a free city park seething with steam and bubbling
mud immediately next to the swing-set and jungle-gym. I dislike an
endless row of cookie-cutter motels. I love the natural geyser wafting
F
steam over the town center, yet I dislike the fabricated geyser tricked
into spouting at the same convenient tourist o’clock every morning.
Obviously I have a love/hate with Rotorua/RotoVegas...but for the most
part I lean towards a genuine love and appreciation.
Rotorua was NZ’s first international tourist attraction, dating back
to the 1880’s with its myriad of geothermal wonders all capped by
the former internationally-famed Pink and White Terraces. Rotorua
deserves its fame, as it is easily the most unique place on the North
Island….and, unless you plan a trip to Yellowstone USA, Iceland, or
maybe Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula…then Rotorua will probably
be the most active geothermal area you’ll EVER see! Few places on
Earth have boiling mud pools as golf-course hazards. Few towns ever
suffer/celebrate mid-town mud explosions like Kuirau Park has seen.
Few adventure towns can tout both raft-able waterfalls as well as hot-
spring waterfalls. Basically, few places on Earth are more intriguing,
enthralling, or as…uh… “scented” as Rotorua. I Love Rotorua.

Don’t Miss:
Mt Maunganui (F1) Kerosene Creek (F15)
Hamurana Sprgs/Okere Falls (F7-8) Mud Pool (F19)
Rotorua For Free (F11) Wai-o-Tapu/Waimangu
(F13, F20)
117
 F1 MT. MAUNGANUI
(Say: Mawn-ga new-ee)

Surf city nz
Walk: Moderate 60-90 minute loops
• Elevation beach: duh
• Elevation top: 232m
Google
Coords -37.631454 176.177005 OBSCUR-O-METER

Paraglider The “Mount”,

in local’s lexicon,
is Surf City New
Zealand. It’s like
a quintessential
California beach
Track
town, only better.
Better because
there’s an extinct
volcano rising
abruptly off this
Mt. Maunganui white sand beach
Beach providing exquisite
views for the legion
of people who walk up to the top every day. Besides getting to watch
the surfing action from the sunny beach, you also may be lucky enough
to witness the daily paraglider air parade float down onto the beach from
B.O.P./Rotorua

the top of the Mount.

Walking to the top of “Mauao” (Maori lexicon) provides a killer view
of everything—bay, ocean, beach, and Matakana Island. Part of Mt
Maunganui’s charm is that everything interesting about the area is packed
close together—you can walk everywhere once you find a parking space.
The town’s main drag is full of fun and funky cafes, surf shops, hip retailers,
and quirky curiosity shops. And, as fun as the town is…the beach and
bay are even better. Surfing, volleyball, boogie board, kayak, jet-ski,
cliff-jump, wakeboard,
kiteboard, fish, swim, Papamoa Beach
paraglide, trail run…
all within 1km. Then
you’ve got the super-
popular tracks circling
and ascending the
extinct volcano. You
can either ramble
a circle around the
base of the volcano
for an easy stroll or Campground
take either the difficult Hot
route up (25 minutes) pools
or the easier way up
The view from The Mount

118
(45 minutes). Needless to say, the view at the top is epic—bring binoculars
and you’ll be entertained for an hour.
Rain or shine (mostly shine on the sunny East coast) Mt. Maunganui
is the bikini capitol of New Zealand. Of course when it’s sunny the bikinis
are on the sand, but when it clouds over the bikinis don’t hide, they just
walk 200m to the famed

B.O.P./Rotorua
Hot Water Pools. Directly
under Mauao, just steps off
the beach, you’ll find a large
pool complex full of naturally
heated salt water. For $10pp
you’ll slide into pools big
and small, hot and hotter.
There’s massaging fountains, Rain
underwater benches for shelter
hanging out, and kids play Kids’
pool
pools…with showers and Fountains
changing rooms. Open until
10pm daily—the perfect rainy
day spot, or a great nighttime
unwind after a full day of
Mount fun.

Hot Pools

DRIVING: All roads lead to the Mount!

119
 F2 KAIATE FALLS
(Say: Kai ah-tee)

waterfall swimming hole

Walk: Easy 30-minute loop

• Bring: swimsuit, cans(!) of beer

Google
Coords -37.760617 176.241638 OBSCUR-O-METER

Kaiate Falls (or Te Rerekawau) is a

locals-type spot that guidebooks like Lonely
Planet completely overlook. Even the DOC
literature hardly inspires a visit. That’s why
you have this guide (I hope)…to find places
like this. Go. There’s a waterfall for every
kind of smile here. This small stream spits
over a series of stairstep waterfalls in a
sunny, forested Shangri-la. Go between
noon-4pm for pool-side sunbathing. The
lowest falls has the hugest dive-able pool,
often with a rope swing for the brave. Each
small waterfall merits exploring—how many
can you sneak behind??
Upper
Lower Falls
falls viewpoint
B.O.P./Rotorua

Swimming
Rope hole
swing

Carpark

Deep
pool

DRIVING: From the Mount head south on SH2 for 7km and turn
right onto Welcome Bay Rd. Go 6.3km then left onto Waitao Rd,
signed to Kaiate Falls. Go 5.3km more then left again at the Kaiate
Falls sign.
From Tauranga find Welcome Bay Rd just south of the SH2/
SH29 junction and go east 6km to Waitao Rd.
From Te Puke head 2km north then turn left onto Te Puke
Quarry Rd. Go 8.7km (half unsealed) then right at the Kaiate
Falls sign.
120
 F3 TUAHU KAURI
(Say: Too ah-hoo)

southernmost big kauri

Walk: Easy 15 minutes one-way

Google
Coords -37.597177 175.861416 OBSCUR-O-METER

This giant may be the southernmost of the really big Kauris—this is the
south end of their natural range. An easy walk will bring you within huggable
proximity of this 2.7m-wide behemoth. If you’ve already seen the giants
of Northland then this tree may seem a little ho-hum (can a tree this big
ever be ho-hum?) But, if you’re coming up from the south and have yet
to see a big Kauri, then be sure to make a quick jaunt up here to stretch
your neck at Tuahu’s pride. The view through the open forest canopy as
you approach the Tuahu giant is exceptionally WOW!
The track to Tuahu makes a little loop at the tree. For a longer walk
a network of tracks branch out from here and a mapboard at the carpark
shows the routes...but
don’t expect anything
too impressive past
the Tuahu Kauri—the
loggers took all the
other biggies, leaving
just dense viewless

B.O.P./Rotorua
regenerating bush.

DRIVING: On SH2, 3km south of Katikati, turn onto Hot Springs Rd,
signed to Sapphire Springs, and follow it 5.5km to the road-end
(passing a turn for the hot spring “resort”…if you are wondering,
I consider Sapphire Springs the worst hot spring operation in NZ.
Beware, be warned).
121
 F4 WAIORONGOMAI VALLEY
(Say: Why-o-rongo-my)

gold mining ruins

Walk/tramp: Mod. and difficult tramping loops

• Bring: flashlight for tunnels

Google
Coords -37.560307 175.755268 OBSCUR-O-METER

Lamented in song, a 1800s gold-

mining dream gone bust…nowadays A Poem of Sorrow written circa
the Waiorongomai Valley is surely the 1892 by C.W. Richmond
least-known most historically interesting “O wrong are you, o wrong am I,
valley on the entire North Island. What? O wrong all of us,
We’re all sold, there is no gold,
Never heard of it? Seems like nobody The claim’s not worth a cuss,
else has either, except for DOC and We came O why? It’s all my eye,
So sing O-wai-o-rong-o-mai,
the legion of volunteers who have Here comes the bloomin bus,
painstakingly restored the valley’s Let’s all get in, it’s a sin,
goldmine of gold-mining history. Come The claim’s not worth a cuss,
singing O-wai-o-rong-o-mai,
see...you’ll be amazed at both the O wrong are all of us.”
historic relic/ruins and DOC’s obvious
efforts and expense to rehab the entire saga-riffic landscape. Well done
DoC—the interpretive panels are fabulous!!! I LOVE Waiorongomai.
What you’ll find at Waiorongomai are a maze of tracks snaking through
the hillsides, often on the actual 1800s tramline rails—the ACTUAL rails,
often half-claimed by the bush. These are NZ’s oldest existing tramline
B.O.P./Rotorua

rails, not reproductions. Amongst the tracks there are three separate steep
“inclines” alternating with level stretches. These hillside inclines feature
the ruins of some unbelievable mining engineering—you gotta see these
ore-cart balancing schemes. How did everyone manage to not die??? It’s
damn incredible the difficulties the miner’s faced in Waiorongomai trying

Butler’s Incline

Butler’s Incline circa 1898

122
 to wrestle a wage out of this
unforgiving rock. Exemplary
signage brings the hard-
ships to life. Other than
relics, the network of tracks
also passes mineshafts,
tunnels and waterfalls…as
well as swimming holes in
Tracks map
the stream below.
New in 2011 is a carpark
mapboard that details all the tracks.
No walks here are easy—this valley
demands reasonable fitness to see
anything.
u Basic loop: Takes about an hour.
Explore dark “Low Level Drive” tunnel
then head up to Fern spur, along to
Butlers Incline, down “Water Race
track” and back along the Low Level
Actual 1880s rail
track.
u Moderate loop: 2 hours. Up to Fern spur then over to Butlers then up
incline to historic relics. Loop back down on the High Level track.
u Difficult loop: 3 hours plus lunch. Fern to Butlers, up incline then over
to May Queen incline and up it. At May Queen’s top head over to Canadian
gully and Premier Creek (passing Hardies Hut track). Pass thru fun tunnel
and then plan on a snack at one of the creeks. Now backtrack to Hardies,

B.O.P./Rotorua
go up it and loop back down to Butler
incline top. Now take the Buck Rock
track down to High Level/Fern spur
and down.

Up Butler’s Incline May Queen’s Tunnel of Love

DRIVING: Head south from Te Aroha’s town-center I-site for 3km

then turn left at signed Waiorongomai Rd to the road-end carpark.
123
 F5 WAIRERE FALLS
(Say: Why rear-ree)
monster waterfall
Walk: Mod/diff 45-90 mins (3km or 5km) one-way
• Elevation carpark: 40m
• Elevation top of falls: 360m
• Bring:
Google
water shoes, birthday suit
OBSCUR-O-METER
Coords -37.737183 175.862572

These falls are…

(oh, here I go again
with the adjectives)…a
surprise spectacle, a
marvelous magnificence,
a wall of wonder-falls!
Unexpectedly, just a few
kms east of Matamata’s 150m
Shiredoor Hobbitland Lookout
tourbus mecca, the
Wairere stream leaps off
a 152m escarpment as Track
if it just can’t wait to see
Bilbo’s doors. Lol.
Wairere Falls are
one of the North Island’s
Carpark view
highest falls, but amazingly
B.O.P./Rotorua

they seem to stay far off the tourist map. All the better. After a heavy rain
the falls blast a rainbow’d torrent, but even in normal summer flows the
experience of these falls is exclamatory! Late afternoon is the best sunlight
for these west-facing falls. The track from the carpark heads moderately
upwards about 40 minutes to a lookout platform, then steeply up another
30 minutes to the lip of the falls. No average track is this though…oh no…
DoC has outdone itself here with a crafty feat of track-engineering ingenuity.
Bridges criss-cross the boulder-choked stream, some zig-zagging in mid
criss-cross—oh fun. Then, approaching the lookout, the track ascends a
vertical corkscrewing Koru staircase…impressive—thanks DoC!!
And now, as if these
falls aren’t “hidden”
enough already…here
comes the NZ Frenzy
hidden bit. If you’re
sprightly and young-
at-heart (say, 52 years
old), you’ll want to pack
your water shoes with
you. After seeing all the
viewpoints, retreat back
down the Koru staircase
to the bridge and shoe-
Funky bridges up for a stream-splash
124
 adventure. Like a leaping jungle-
possum you can rock-hop/scramble
up the base of the falls in only about
15-25 minutes. Sweet as! As far as
adventure goes, this is the soul of
the North Island…a do-it-yourself
adventure on an island of constant
surprises! Is the pool at the base of the
falls swimmable? Go see for yourself.
The big flat rock at the base of the
waterfall doesn’t get any sunshine until
after noon, but when it does…ahhh…
the ticklish feel of the mist drying off
your naked skin from the towering
waterfall whispering its hidden secrets
to you…is unforgettable.

Corkscrew
staircase
to lookout

B.O.P./Rotorua

Adventure
scramble

Low-water
lookout
view

DRIVING: From Te Aroha head 27km south on Old Te Aroha Rd

and turn left onto Goodwin Rd signed to Wairere Falls.
From Matamata head NE on Tower Rd then right onto Okauia
Springs Rd for 4km over to Old Te Aroha Rd. Turn left onto Old
Te Aroha and head about 6.5km to Goodwin Rd and go right to
the carpark.

125
 F6 OTANEWAINUKU SCENIC RESERVE
(Say: Oh-tah-nee why-new-koo)

Virgin forest bush walks

Walk: Easy/mod walks–30 min to waterfall,
1-hour loop to trig

Google
Coords -37.893106 176.206525 OBSCUR-O-METER

Otanewainuku is a bush reserve full of old-growth virgin forest, alive

with birdsong and night-time kiwi calls. There are three tracks to choose
from here, so a bit of something for everyone. These are probably the best
bush walks near Tauranga. A map at the carpark/toilet shelter shows the
walking tracks. For a nice hot pools soak afterward, Google Oropi Hot
Pools—the resort is on the road back to Tauranga.
u Big Trees Loop: This is an easy 1.5km loop walk that takes about
20-25 minutes. This walk tours impressive Rata trees and plenty more.
Interpretive plaques identify the major types of trees.
u Wharatoa Falls out/back track: This is a side-track that spurs-off from
the Big Trees loop. Wharatoa Falls is a small pretty waterfall, with a chilly,
but swimmable pool at its base. The walk is easy/mod and takes about 30
minutes one-way to the falls…all the way in dense Kiwi bush.
u Trig Loop: The
moderate loop up to
the Trig viewpoint
takes about an hour
B.O.P./Rotorua

for its 4km length.

Go clockwise. Look
for giant Puketea
trees with their
distinctive flaring
bases. The Trig
has a view platform
to get you above
the forest canopy
where you can see
far and wide.
Whataroa Falls

DRIVING: Otanewainuku is about a 20-minute drive from Tauranga.

Best to look at a map before going. From Tauranga you need to
head towards Hamilton on SH 29. At a large roundabout take
Oropi Rd (this is near Pyes Pa Rd). Go south 14km of pavement
then turn left onto unsealed Mountain Rd for another 7km to the
obvious signed carpark.
You can also access the reserve from Rotorua via Pyes Pa Rd.
Go 18km north from Lake Rotorua, turn right on Mangatoi Rd for
7km, left on Mangatoi Rd #2 for 2km, then left onto Mountain Rd
for 300m to carpark.

126
 F7 HAMURANA SPRINGS LOOP WALKWAY
(Say: Hammer-anna)

LOOP TRACK TOURING CRYSTAL-CLEAR STREAM

Walk: Easy 2km, 20-30 minute loop

Google
Coords -38.033717 176.258794 OBSCUR-O-METER

Hamurana Springs’ short, easy

loop walkway is definitely one of
the best easy walks anywhere
in New Zealand! That’s saying
a lot. This little 2km track gets little
attention compared to all the tourism
hoopla poured on all the other
commercialized Rotorua attractions,
but this wee loop track packs a big
“oh wow” wallup for its short length.
I almost don’t want to write anything
about Hamurana Springs so as to not
spoil your surprise.
You know…I’ve just decided not
to spoil the surprises for you. Just
please take my word and just head
up there for a quick lap on the loop,

B.O.P./Rotorua
Redwoods
maybe two laps if you’re impressed.
Lemme put the adjectives down here that I would have used had I fully
described the all the good stuff: majesty, tranquility, clarity…a million
gallons per minute, 5000 pennies, and happy trout. ’Nuff said. Go!
After a lap or two
of the walk be sure to
head down to where
the stream pours into
Lake Rotorua—it’s neat
to look for Rotorua town
and Pohutu Geyser
steam at the other end
of the lake.

Crystalline stream

DRIVING: It’s only about an 18-minute drive from Rotorua. Take

the highway around the east shore of the lake, towards Whakatane/
Tauranga, for 15km, then turn left on signed Hamurana Rd for
6km more to the signed carpark on the right side. There’s a map
at the carpark.
127
 F8 OKERE FALLS/KAITUNA RAPIDS
wORLD'S HIGHEST COMMERCIALLY-RAFTED
WATERFALL
Walk: Easy 15-minute (1km) one-way

• Bring: camera, swimsuit, headlamp

Google
Coords -38.014311 176.343936 OBSCUR-O-METER

This is the most action-packed

15-minute walk on the island. It’s
so neat that you’ll probably take
an hour to walk the 15 minutes! A
bush track runs the length of this short gorge, providing ample viewpoints
of the river and waterfalls below. Detailed map at the carpark.
Going down Down under Back up

Tutea Falls overlook

Highlights include:
B.O.P./Rotorua

u The Kaituna River, Rotorua’s raft, kayak, and sledge hot spot.
u 3 waterfall viewpoints, often with rafts and kayaks shooting the falls.
u Tutea’s Falls…at 7m it’s the highest commercially run drop in the world.
u Tutea’s steps and cave, next to the waterfall viewpoint
u A scenic bridge over to the “trout pool” swimming hole
u A nice deep swimming hole at rapid’s end.
Watching a raft go over Tutea’s
Falls is the must-see. The rafts often
completely disappear under the
churning river—it’s quite a sight! All
summer rafts run constantly and the
pathway is busy with photographers
from the rafting outfitters. Ask any of
the photographers for the lowdown
on the rafting—the cost is about
$100 per person to raft the rapids.
This is a real Kiwi thrill that’s worth
every penny!
Inside Tutea’s cave

DRIVING: From Rotorua head north on SH33. Once past Lake

Rotorua and alongside Lake Rotoiti look for Okere Falls signs.
Turn left at signed Trout Pool Rd and go a few seconds to the
first carpark.
128
 F9 WAITANGI SODA HOT SPRINGS
(Say: Why-tangi)

semi-commercialized hot spring

• Fee: $7-ish per person
• Bring: bug repellent, swimsuit
Google
Coords -38.037820 176.549285 OBSCUR-O-METER

Before 2009
Waitangi Springs
was a free, though
run-down, natural
hot pool, courtesy
of the local Maoris.
Nowadays the pool
and the grounds
have seen a welcome
clean-up…though Hot pond
the clean-up now
calls for a day-use fee. This is OK though because the former shabbiness
and litter was a deterrent to most visitors’ enjoyment. Just like before,
boiling effervescent soda water surges from a nearby spring, mixes with a
cooler stream, and then flows into a vast sand-bottomed meter-deep pool.
Lots of room for everybody! Don’t expect anything posh or pampered here
like at Roto’s Polynesian Springs—expect a barely-commercialized natural

B.O.P./Rotorua
pool with minimum toilet/changing-room facilities.
The water flowing through the big pool is clean, but scads of natural
orange algae swarms in the pool, scaring away squeamish tourists. At dusk
heaps of locals show up…often with full families in tow. Come during the
afternoon and you’ll probably have it to yourself. On a grey drizzly Rotorua
day Waitangi Soda Springs might be the answer you’re looking for.
One note of
caution: this pool,
on grey days,
seems to attract
sandflies. Not a
plague like on the
West Coast of the
South Island…but
pesky enough to
warn you about.

DRIVING: The spring is located on Manawahe Rd between Lakes

Rotoma and Rotoehu. This is 12km east of Okataina Rd or 20km
west of Kawerau. Turn onto the signed road and go just 500m
more to the fenced carpark.

129
 F10 LAKE TARAWERA EAST SHORE
(Say: Tah-ra wear-ah)

the better side

Walk: Easy/moderate tracks

• Bring: permit, camping gear and food, swimsuits

Google
Coords -38.185294 176.502947 OBSCUR-O-METER

The west side Lake Okataina Tarawera

of Lake Tarawera, Falls
nearby to Rotorua, Swimming
is crowded with hole
sight-seeing Beach
tourists buzzing
around like a Tra
ck
swarm of sand- Camp-
flies after their ground
touristy visit to
Beach
the buried village.
The other end of
the lake, the east side, is 100% completely different. The East side attracts
outdoorsy-oriented folks with its lakeside camping, its quiet, its sunsets,
and its waterfall track. The “Tarawera Outlet” is a DoC campground/
boat ramp where the lake’s warmer top waters flow out of the lake, past
a bunch of nice swimming holes, and then pour over a succession of
B.O.P./Rotorua

unique waterfalls.
Come see this side of the lake—it’s a hassle to get to, but that’s what
keeps it good. You’ll see.
u Tarawera Falls. (OK, sorry, but here comes another adjective-laden
rah-rah.) Tarawera Falls and the warm crystalline stream that leads up to it
are well-known wonders to Bay of Plenty locals. Here’s the deal: azure water
gushes out of Lake Tarawera and rushes 3.5km until it literally disappears
into a fractured cliff, suddenly reappearing as a waterfalling torrent surging
out of the middle of the cliff…Whoa! An easy hour-long path cruises the
3.5km, passing swimming holes, whitewater chasms, and circular rainbows.
Before descending to the falls, don’t miss the above-the-falls-cliff-edge
viewpoint just below the upper stream bridge. This streamside track can
be walked from either of two carparks—from downstream or from the lake
outlet, but, believe me, Sunset over Lake Tarawera
it’s WAY better from
the upper-end lake
because upon your
return to the lake you’ll
have a full cooler of
bevvies eager for the Gin ‘n’ Tonic
Tarawera beach…
rather than returning
to a dull viewless,
lakeless carpark. Author at “work”
130
 Circular
rainbow

Tarawera Falls Upper Tarawera Falls

u Tarawera Beach. This is where the wake-boarding, beers and bikinis
are. Just a short 7-minute walk from the boat ramp.
u Tarawera Northern track. This moderate track runs along the
north shore of the lake
to Humphries Bay. It
has enough up/down
to make you sweat and
the lakeside scenery is
serene. Humphries Bay,
shown on the map, isn’t
much except a cleared

B.O.P./Rotorua
campsite and a toilet
(no beach). Humphries
takes 2 hours of walking
from the campground.
Before you get there
you’ll pass two small
“beaches” at about the
100-minute mark. These
narrow beaches can be
wonderful spots for a
romantic swim and picnic.
From Humphries camp
Lake Okataina is just 15
Swimming hole rope swing minutes.

DRIVING: You access Tarawera River Rd from Kawerau town.

First though you need to stop at the I-Site (behind New World)
to get the cheap permit to access the private forestry road. It’s
quick and no hassle. Get directions how to find the road from the
I-Site. The road is gravel, but fairly straight and fast.
From Kawerau it’s 26km to the lake. In 13km comes the fork
that leads to the downstream waterfall carpark. Turn right to go
10km to the lower Waterfall track, or stay left for 13km more to
the lake/campground.

131
 F11 ROTORUA FOR FREE
VARIOUS FREE SIGHTS AND WALKS
Google
Coords
Kuirau: -38.13533 176.245800
Ohinemutu: -38.127886 176.248144
OBSCUR-O-METER
Sulphur Bay: -38.134961 176.263056

Rotorua is definitely
one of the most bizarre
cities in the world!! In
other geothermally active
spots on the globe such as
Yellowstone, Kamchatka
Peninsula, Iceland, and
Hawaii…cities are not built
directly atop the fuming
geothermal vents, if there Kuirau
are even cities nearby.
Not so at Rotorua where the significant city sits on thin spot of the Earth’s
crust immediately atop the Earth’s inner inferno. The result of this is nothing
less than jaw-dropping WOW! The air is filled with the scent of sulfur, street
cracks hiss with boiling heat, backyard cauldrons plume with steam…all
while playgrounds share carpark space with boiling mud pits and sulphuric
sinter terraces. Rotorua is truly…Like No Other!
B.O.P./Rotorua

Here are three free not-to-miss spots in order to witness the

weirdness within the city:
u Kuirau Park. This central-city park is punctuated every few steps with
geothermal oddity. Paths meander through the park with no set route…
just wander around and be surprised what each turn will reveal. This must
be the oddest city park on the planet—you’ve got a kids playground, then
a seething mud pit…a nice flower-lined pond, then a spewing cauldron…
a ball field, then sinter field…a grove of trees, then a steaming lake…all
scented with the ghastly sulphur. It’s as if Dante got to play urban designer
for a day. Totally bizarre, totally world-unique…totally Rotorua.
u Sulphur Bay. There’s a walkway behind Gov’t Gardens’ that saunters
the sintered shore of the strange sulphuric sea (yup, that was fun to write ).
By far the best bit is between the Event Center and the Polynesian Spa—it
has signs, smells, streams, and
Ohinemutu
sinter terraces worth a look. The
southern loop of this signed track
is a bit dull in comparison.
u Ohinemutu Village. Original
old-time Maori Rotorua. Famous
churches and Maraes, lots of
exceptional Maori carvings…and
steam hissing from the very streets.
Photo-op lakeside history in a still-
vibrant community setting.
132
 F12 WHAKAREWAREWA VIEWPOINT TRACK
(Say: Fahka ree-wah ree-wah)

viewpoint over pohutu geyser and rotorua

Walk: Moderate 25-min (1.5km) one-way

• Bring: binoculars, photo of the track map

Google
Coords -38.156495 176.272867 OBSCUR-O-METER

Whakarewarewa Lake Rotorua

is a peculiar forest of Gov’t Gardens
California Redwoods
situated moments from
downtown Rotorua.
This forest began in
1901on the then-barren Pohutu
Geyser
slopes that bordered
Rotorua. California Red-
woods were planted
experimentally, hoping
they would yield greater
Whakarewarewa Viewpoint
and faster timber
harvests than native NZ trees. The redwoods were never cut though
because Radiata pine became the forestry tree of choice.
Today “Whaka” is a major recreational draw for Rotorua, as it has
become NZ’s mountain-bike mecca. The entire redwood forest is laced with

B.O.P./Rotorua
an extensive network of fun trails. Hundreds of weekend mountain bikers
flock from every nearby city. Generally, the area around the visitor center
is popular with walkers, while the mountain bikers convene at a trailhead
off of Waipa Mill Rd (1km south of Roto on SH5. Hire bikes are available.)
Here’s the hidden “NZ Frenzy” bit: my favorite viewpoint (in all of
Roto) is the Ridgeline Trig track from the Waipa carpark. Take a photo of the
mapboard then cross the bridge and turn a sharp left. 20-ish minutes will get
you to the trig, and a few more downhill will bring you to the better viewpoint.
Wow, a killer view over all of
Rotorua and maybe just a
short wait until the Pohutu
Geyser blows its top (about
every 30-40 minutes). Yay,
all for free! Bring binoculars
so you can watch all the ant-
sized $$-paying tourists down
at Te Puia. Return the way
you came. You can also get
here from the VisCtr if you
Pohutu geysing want—consult the mapboard.

DRIVING: The Whaka VisCtr is signed off of Tarawera Lake Rd.

Waipa Mill Rd is 1km south of Rotorua/Te Puia Springs on SH5.

133
 F13 WAIMANGU THERMAL VALLEY
(Say: Why-mangoo)

The world's newest thermal attraction

Walk: Easy 2-hour downhill walk,
optional $$ boat ride
• Fee: approx. $37.00 per person
Google
Coords -38.285558 176.386569 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waimangu Valley is the

commercialized thermal area
resulting from the 1886 eruption
of Rotorua’s Mt Tarawera.
What sets Waimangu apart
from the other commercialized
thermal areas is that Waimangu
has an actual fascinatingly
cataclysmic geologic story
that goes with its boiling-earth
Steaming inferno
phenomena.
Waimangu Valley’s roots stretch back to the famed “Pink and White
Terraces”. These flowstone terraces were considered the 8th wonder of
the natural world back in the 1880s…until Mt Tarawera erupted in furious
fashion in 1886, wiping out the terraces and creating a new rift valley of
steaming geology—Waimangu. The gift shop has a great collection of
historic photos, the most impressive ones being of the humongous geyser
B.O.P./Rotorua

that formed after Tarawera blew its top—a geyser that was only active for
4 years (1900-1904), but what a geyser it was—the Earth’s biggest ever,
shooting water and debris upwards 150 meters!
Anyhow, a trip to Waimangu immerses you in this incredible history as
well as delighting your senses with steaming lakes, colored lakes, hissing
fumaroles, colored terraces, and steaming cliffs. Yup, a very photogenic
place! Truthfully, it may not be as dazzlingly weird as Wai-o-Tapu (F20),
but it does hold its own
by having some of the
Earth’s most remarkable
geothermal features like
the biggest hot spring and
the biggest geyser-like
feature (an expanding and
contracting lake). Photo-
wise it probably beats out
Orakei Korako. If you add
on the boat trip on Lake
Rotomahana, then you do
Colorful crater have a unique experience.

DRIVING: The valley’s loop access road is obviously signed at

two junctions off of SH5 just south of Rotorua.

134
 F14 RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
GEOTHERMAL WONDERS TRACK
Tramp: Mod/diff 45-60 min (2km) one-way
• Elevation carpark: 420m
• Elevation top: 743m
• Bring: regional map, binoculars, clock
Google
Coords -38.315464 176.375938 OBSCUR-O-METER

Rainbow Mtn is a fantastic and

Red/white oft-overlooked track. Undoubtedly
cliffs (would you doubt me?) this is
Steam
the most interesting free-access
viewpoint in the Rotorua/Taupo
area. Really! This is why: first
you’ve got a well-made track that
swings you up to a couple of hidden
crater lakes backed by bizarre
steaming red and white cliffs.
Continuing up the steeper part of
the track to the top of the 743m peak you’ll find a lookout building and a
nice grassy picnic lawn.
Here’s the best part…from this Green Crater Lake
peak your gaze will sweep over
some of the most unique spots
on this adjective-riddled island.

B.O.P./Rotorua
How ’bout 8 different lakes including
Tarawera and WaioTapu’s green
Lake Ngakoro. How ’bout mountains
from Tarawera, south past Taupo’s
Tauhara, down to Tongariro/Ruapehu.
How ’bout geothermal steam from
Waimangu’s Lake Rotomahana, Waikite Valley’s boiling
plumes, Ohaaki’s 100m cooling tower, and all the steam
pools around the Waiotapu Tavern. Whoa—So Many
Sights—be sure to bring an area map!
The best time to do this track is at 9 a.m. Why?
Because, first off, in the morning the air is a bit chillier so
you’ll see more impressive steam from the bizarre rainbow
cliffs. But, more unique still, is that at exactly 10:15 a.m.
a bag of soap is poured into Lady Knox Geyser (F20),
adding its steam plume to the visual pizzazz. Look to
Rainbow’s the south (on a line with the Ohaaki power-plant cooling
Lookout tower) and listen for the camera clicks!

DRIVING: The signed DoC reserve is 24km south of Rotorua on

SH5. Look for the carpark on the east side of the road just south
of the SH38 junction.
Coming from the south the carpark is 3km north of Waiotapu
Tavern. Do not leave valuables in sight.
135
 F15 KEROSENE CREEK
HOT SPRINGS WATERFALL
Walk: Short walk along creek to pools

• Bring: swimsuit and flip-flops

Google
Coords -38.334322 176.386419 OBSCUR-O-METER

This free, natural hot spring oasis is sort of two-faced. On one hand
Kerosene Creek can be the most beautiful, unique, and soothing place in
the country…other times it can be a rowdy annoyance. K-Creek’s natural
setting is unsurpassed—a 40° C (104° F) knee-deep stream snaking through
a fern jungle before spilling over two small steaming waterfalls…ahhhhh.
B.O.P./Rotorua

Kerosene’s waterfall pool

The issue here is how PEOPLE choose to interact with this slice of
paradise. Kerosene Creek is no big secret to travelers, as it’s been written
up in Lonely Planet for years. Travelers seem to treat the Kerosene
Creek experience with reverence, often visiting NZ from countries where
hot springs are considered meditative places. Many Kiwis seem to hold
a different attitude, treating K-Creek as a kickass spot to party and get
on the piss. Of course this isn’t
every Kiwi. Hopefully this Frenzy
will help attract more people who Drunk
want to share Kerosene Creek as Kiwi
a serene experience of nature’s
grace. Interestingly, Tourism NZ
has recently begun to use Kerosene
Creek in some of its ads…seems
they are catching-on to promoting
the free wonders of NZ instead of
the commercialized. Nice!
136
 Upper pool

Observances:
u There’s no peace or quiet on weekend nights.
u Expect some nudity near dawn and dusk, but in general everyone wears
bathing suits.
u Please bring a grocery bag to help pick up any litter left by the idiots.
u Downstream of the big pool are some smaller creek nooks.

B.O.P./Rotorua

Naked in Eden

DRIVING: Kerosene Creek is accessed via Old Waiotapu Rd,

about 25km south of Rotorua on SH5 and 1km south of the SH38
junction. From the south it’s 2km north of Waiotapu Tavern.
Either way, take the signed turn, immediately pass a steaming
little lake…and follow the pot-holed gravel road for 2km to the
signed carpark just before a locked forestry gate.

137
 F16 ANCIENT MAORI WAR CANOE
ROCK CARVINGS
THE NORTH ISLAND'S BEST MAORI ROCK ART
Walk: Easy 3-min walk from hwy shoulder

• Check my blog before going

Google
Coords (approx.) -38.448306 176.589694 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Kaingaroa Maori rock art is denoted on most tourist maps

(Kiwimaps and Hema), but there’s no indication at all along the highway
where this rock art might be. No signage or carpark area whatsoever.
What is here, just a 3-minute walk from the highway shoulder, is the
North Island’s best example of authentic ancient Maori rock carvings. A
basalt outcrop overhangs an alcove of softer rock, and on this lower 20m
section of rock are carved an amazing assortment of Maori wakas (war
canoes). More puzzling is the fact that this alcove has been protected with
substantial governmental fencing with an explanatory plaque-sign detailing
some history of the carvings. All this protection, yet no notification to the
public that this rock art even exists. Hmmm…puzzling…you better see
for yourself.
On my website I’ll have substantially more info about these carvings
and their history…as well as some old newspaper articles about their
controversy I was able to dig up.
Walk You need to locate a one-meter-high white fiberglass marker
B.O.P./Rotorua

that is set back a few meters from the southern highway shoulder. At this
marker push through the brush and you’ll find a somewhat-overgrown path
leading quickly down into the gully with the fenced art.

Rock art protection

138
 Carved war canoe

B.O.P./Rotorua
DRIVING: The unmarked path to the rock art is REALLY hard to
find. Pay extremely close attention to my details and set your
odometer accordingly.
The unmarked pathway to the art, along SH38, is 10km west
of Murupara and 27km east of the SH5/SH38 junction (near
Waiotapu). There is NO carpark at all on SH38, but the shoulder
on either side of the highway is just wide enough for a smaller car.
Big vehicles should park 500m west at a large spur-road pull-off.
Coming from the west, the art is a total of 27km from the
Waiotapu Hwy junction. As you get closer, it’s 9.5km past the
signed Kaingaroa town Hwy junction…and when you get closer
still, the art is EXACTLY 1.5km past a wide right-side pull-off
marked with two “When Frosty” signs. Slow down and look right
(south) for the hard-to-see white fiberglass marker.
Coming from Murupara, set your odometer while crossing the
Rangitaiki bridge on the north side of the town. The rock art path
is EXACTLY 10km…and it is EXACTLY 1.5km past a water supply
pond on the road’s right (north) side. Slow down when you begin
emerging from a banked-walled highway gully and keep a sharp
eye to your left for the fiberglass marker.

139
 F17 WAIKITE VALLEY THERMAL POOLS
(Say: Why-key-tee)

commercial hot pools complex

• Bring: $12 per person, $6 for kids
• Open: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily
Google
Coords -38.327282 176.302968 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waikite is
a commercially
operated hot pools
complex. The local
community funded
its development
out of the desire to
soak and play, rather
than to just make a
buck. They did an
extraordinary job—I
highly recommend this place! A small campground completes the package
here, but don’t expect to find a spot anytime near Xmas/New Years.
Waikite is blessed with the largest boiling gusher in the country—you
gotta see it! From this boiling spring a network of terraces were set up
to cool the water before it gets to the pools (so you don’t cook). There are
a variety of pool sizes, temperatures, and “no kids” regulations to please
B.O.P./Rotorua

everyone. A café is adjacent to the pools for meals and snacks.

But wait, even if you don’t have the time for a soak (or it’s too hot/sunny),
it’s still worthwhile to stop in just to witness the boiling Te Manaroa Spring.
For just $3 you can walk the short “eco-trail” along a steamy mini-valley
walkway. This is Jurassic Park, dawn-of-time WOW! Mists swirl
and caress tree ferns while sunbeams
slant through now-you-see-it, now-
you-don’t steamy canopy. Pterodactyls
circle overhead. One moment you’re
enshrouded in a cleansing curtain of
steam and the next…poof…you get a
quick glimpse of the boiling cauldron.
Primordial fury at its rawest!
To me this short walkway is WAY
worth the 7km side-trip from the highway
at Waiotapu, even if you don’t plan to
soak.

Steaming
Walkway

DRIVING: 28km south of Rotorua on SH5 (to Taupo), at the

Waiotapu Tavern, turn west on Waikite Valley Rd and go 7km.

140
 F18 WATERFALL SPOUT BATH
sECRET HOT POOL
Difficulty: ???
Google
Coords -37.613813 176.780509
hahahaha, nope it’s not there OBSCUR-O-METER

Waterfall Spout Bath hot spring doesn’t have a real name. Everyone
who writes about it just sort of throws some words together out of spout and
falls and shower and bath. I don’t want to see this small hot pool overrun
with visitors, so I won’t tell you exactly where it is…but I’ll give you a riddle
to help clever Frenzied folk find it.

I’m friends with a “Lady”

and we’re told that we’re sacred waters.
I’m protected by only a white guard
who swings his arm closed at night.
Get by this guard and look for the spot
by the stumps while listening for my gurgle…
then you’ll scamper Right over.

If you can’t find me from this riddle, then you’ll have to ask Sally and
her NZ Hot Springs guidebook.

B.O.P./Rotorua

141
 F19 MUD POOL
FREE GEOTHERMAL WONDER
Drive-up viewing

• Bring: sense of humor

Google
Coords -38.341875 176.369758 OBSCUR-O-METER

Mud Pool is one of my favorite

places in the North Island (oh wait,
maybe I said that about some other
spots too. Ooops, sorry). Wai-o-Tapu’s
tourism brochures may make it seem
like this bubbling mud pit is within their boundaries, but it’s not. It’s outside
of WaioTapu and it’s free.

Oh Mud Pool, how I love thee…let me

count the ways…
1) FREE!
2) The best mud pool in Rotorua—the
locals agree.
3) Spluttering mud makes me laugh—
the belching holes flinging mud burps
at each other seem like little kids
fighting….LOL .
B.O.P./Rotorua

4) The sound effects of Mud Pool test my descriptive abilities…seething,

belching, hissing, spluttering, plopping…squonching, pluffing, bllummp,
sssplip.

Geyser

A Mud Pool
morning
Coffee

142
5) “Mud Pool” is such a DoC name.
Make up a new name of your
Flying splat
own…how ’bout “Devil’s Arse?”
6) Happy hour at Mud Pool is a
“blast!” No tourist crowds, as
the buses have all left Waio-
Tapu by 5pm. It’s intoxicating to
sit with a cocktail on the railing,
laughing and marveling at how the mud becomes funnier the more you
drink.
7) If the mud volcano near the carpark fencing is plopping, it’s fun to lean
over and try to catch a fling of flying mud. Where else on Earth can
you do this? Catch one and you’ll swear—“Damn, it’s HOT!!”…but then
you’ll reach out again…so fun (holding my friend’s arm as she leaned
over the volcano to catch a splatter, I’ll never forget the shocked look
on her face as she shook her hand to get the hot mud off! Laughing
with glee, she reached out quickly to snare another hot plop—unforget-
table!!) (Note: DoC has since moved the railings back a bit.)
8) A drip in a cave is called a “cave kiss”. What’s a mud splatter-scald
called?
Finally, splattered with mud, maybe a bit of a mud buzz…head to
Kerosene Creek or Hot/Cold for the perfect rinse. Gotta love NZ Frenzying!
Can’t be bothered

B.O.P./Rotorua
8:30 am tour bus
to Waiotapu
(Even more crowded after
the 10:15 geyser show)

“Damn it’s
hot!”

Mud Flying
volcano mud
“plop”

DRIVING: On SH5 at the Waiotapu Tavern (28km south of Rotorua),

take the Waiotapu Loop Rd east for just 500m.

143
 F20 WAIOTAPU THERMAL WONDERLAND
COMMERCIAL THERMAL PARK
Walk: Easy, but tiring, 90-120 minute loop
• Fee: approx $32.50 per person, less for kids
• Hours: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm (last entry 4:45 pm)
Google
Coords -38.355752 176.367465 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waiotapu is often con-

sidered the best commercial
thermal park near Rotorua.
Each of the various thermal
parks has its own star You
attraction, but on the whole,
Waiotapu has the most and
best. Champagne Pool and
Green
its insane green and orange
coloring is one of the most
unique pools in the world!
Waiotapu also has crowds,
and by now you know that I’m
no fan of tourist crowds…so
I’ll tell you how to avoid the Orange
crowd at Waiotapu…but first
lemme tell you about the Lady
B.O.P./Rotorua

Knox Geyser. This geyser,

located a short drive from the
main Waiotapu area, goes off
every morning at 10:15am Champagne Pool
when the employee-guide
artificially in-soap-enates it. Yup, a bag of soap flakes sets off the not-so-
natural geyser, and like a trained dolphin it does tricks for the tourist crowd.
Hundreds of tourists pack the bleachers to watch it perform on cue, like the
perfect made-for-tourism photo-op. It sprays for about 45-60 minutes, but
most visitors hurry to leave to try to avoid the congestion of the hundreds
of geyser-watchers all
trying to leave the carpark
by the one-lane road at
the same time. If you’re
thinking about hanging
around until everybody
leaves and then hopping
Dirty the fence to stand in the
blonde
warm spray delighting in
Milk a most unique geothermal
green
shower…well, don’t…
that’d be crazy…right??

Devil’s Bath
144
 So, what this all boils down to Lady Knox Geyser, 10:14 am
is… if you want to tour Waiotapu
without the staggering summer
crowd…skip the geyser show
and walk the main loop between
9:30am and 11am when all
the early-comers leave the
main geothermal area to go
see the geyser perform. Note
though that the main walk is
packed from 8:30-9:30, and
also immediately after the Lady
Knox show. Late afternoon right before closing has less crowds also, but
long afternoon shadows (on a sunny day) will hinder good photos of the
geothermal attractions (late afternoon on an overcast day is exceptional).

10:16 – get ready!

10:15 – Soap!

B.O.P./Rotorua

10:17 – Geyser!

DRIVING: The signed Waiotapu Loop Rd is 27km south of Rotorua

on SH5 at the Waiotapu Tavern.

145
 F21 HOT/COLD HOT SPRING
(Say: Ahhhhhh)

free natural hot spring

• atNoWaiotapu
facilities at all. Toilets 100m away
carpark
Google
Coords -38.356058 176.364233 OBSCUR-O-METER

What Mother Nature has crafted here is kinda unique—the hot/warm/

cold soaking pool is the result of a hot stream of water joining and co-
mingling with a cold stream into a shallow swimming hole…thus the name
Hot/Cold.
Hot/Cold is sometimes referred to as “Waiotapu Bridge Hot Pool”
because it’s secreted-away just 100 meters from Waiotapu’s busy entrance.
Of the thousands of people a day who visit Waiotapu, only a few ever
learn of this free natural hot pool. This hot pool seems to be the locals’
favorite “secret spot” to tell visitors. Ask any local within a 50km radius
about free hot pools and the answer is always Kerosene Creek and Hot/
Cold. Thus, don’t expect complete privacy—there’s plenty of room for 30
happy people at this social soaking spot. Nowadays the cars parked along
the road create a curiosity, and thus more people “discover” Hot/Cold on
their own every year.
B.O.P./Rotorua

Hot

Cold

DRIVING: Look for the bridge just 100m south of Waiotapu’s

entrance (F20). There’s room for 5-6 cars along the shoulder on
either side of the bridge. In the past few years DoC has put up
some minimal signage but the new popularity will surely force
DoC to make further changes.
146
 F22 BUTCHER’S POOL
OLD-TIMEY, FREE, NATURAL COMMUNITY HOT POOL

Google
Coords -38.453092 176.342961 OBSCUR-O-METER

Butcher’s Pool is a community-owned

natural hot spring pool immediately south of
the small rural village of Reporoa. Through
the years the local community has upgraded
the pool environs, so nowadays you’ll find a
wood-lined pool set in a grassy hillside with a convenient carpark and toilet.
Upon first arrival Butcher’s pool may look slimy and “yucky”, but you
need to understand that the pool’s murky tan coloring is from the mega-
minerals in its hot water supply. This is true heavily-mineralized water like
the renowned Ngawha Springs up in Northland (C3).
A groovy stairway escorts you into the soothing waters, and you’ll find
smooth bench seating along two sides of the pool. The pool is designed
to self-clean the prolific algae that naturally develop, but sometimes the
drain-corner needs some helpful re-engineering. The water seems to stay
in the 38-39° range, and it does leave a distinctive mineralized scent on
your skin.
Like many hot springs (namely Kerosene Creek [F15]), Butcher’s Pool

B.O.P./Rotorua
can see some partying on weekends and on weekday “happy hours”, but
most day-times and week nights the pool may be all yours…..ahhhh.

DRIVING: Off SH5, about 4km south of Waiotapu, look for signs
for Reporoa and turn towards it. At the village’s one intersection
head south on Broadlands Rd for just 2km. On Broadlands Rd
the pool is signed with a small sign, and then only a few hundred
meters to the carpark.
Coming from the south from Taupo on Broadlands Rd, the
turn is 6km north of Broadlands Village.
147
 Taupo/Tongariro
G

G1 Aratiatia Rapids G10 Tokaanu Thermal Pools & Pk

G2 Huka Falls G11 Te Porere Redoubt/Opotaka
G3 Craters of the Moon G12 Okupata Cave
G4 Orakei Korako G13 Tongariro Crossing
G5 Kinloch-Kawakawa Bay Trk G14 Mt. Ngauruhoe
G6 Spa Park Natural Hot Spring G15 Whakapapa Village
G7 Whakamoenga Point G16 Ruapehu’s Wowland
G8 Mt. Tauhara G17 Ohakune/Turoa Ski Fields
G9 Lake Rotopounamu G18 Tree Trunk Gorge/Waikato Falls
148
TAUPO/TONGARIRO REGION
Tongariro is the island’s showpiece National Park and World
Heritage Site—it shouldn’t be missed. The trick here for a traveler
is catching the tripleTongariro Mtns on a sunny day, especially if
you plan on walking the super-popular Tongariro Crossing track.
It’s best to plan for a few days in this area so you’ll have a better
chance at catching the mountains on a nice sunny day. What’s
nice is that Taupo City, on the north lakeshore of Lake Taupo, has
good stuff to do in grey weather like hot springs and geothermal
attractions. On a drizzly day maybe create a challenge to see how
much hot water you can get into in a day….while you hope for a
sunny day the next day to race towards Tongariro. If you’re already
in Turangi maybe explore Tokaanu, Te Porere, and/or Tree Trunk
Gorge on a grey day.
When the sun shines, drop everything else and head for the
hills! On a clear day the Tongariro Crossing or a do-it-yourself out/
back up Mt Ngauruhoe/Emerald Lakes truly is NZ’s best day-walk.
A chairlift ride up Mt Ruapehu can also give non-trampers a good
eye-full of the area’s volcanic glory.

The differences between Taupo and Turangi towns: Both

these towns hug the lakeshore of the great Lake Taupo, but the
similarity ends there as each town is very different in character.
Turangi is quieter and slower-paced without any flash hotels or
restaurants. Fly-fishermen LOVE Turangi, as do folks who are
keen to spend more time in the Tongariro Mtns.
Taupo, on the other hand, is still a small town, but one with a
growing international reputation as a beauty-packed resort town,
akin to a small ski resort town. Taupo is situated along the gorgeous
lakeshore with many a hotel and restaurant perched with killer lake G
views along its scenic promenade avenue. Taupo hums with visi-
tor activity and every nearby attraction is within a 20-minute drive.
Taupo is a naturally blessed town. Don’t leave without chucking a
piece of beach-pumice back into the lake!

Don’t Miss:
Huka Falls (G2)
Aratiatia Rapids (G1)
Craters of the Moon (G3)
Spa Park Hot Springs (G6)
Tongariro Natl Park (G13-G15)
Ruapehu Wowland (G16)

149
 G1 ARATIATIA RAPIDS
(Say: Arra tee-ah tee-ah)

MAN-MADE HYDRO-PHENOMENON
Walk: Easy short viewpoint walks

• Occurs: 10am, noon, 2pm, 4pm (during summer)

Google
Coords -38.617370 176.137125 OBSCUR-O-METER

Not surprisingly, most

tourism literature does a
lousy job describing the true
spectacle of the Aratiatia
Rapids. Here’s my spiel:
The Waikato River, born
as a copious gushing of
aquamarine glory out of Lake
Taupo, meanders languidly
downstream until being
squoze into the frothing blue
fury known as Huka Falls.
Sadly though, immediately
after the blue dream of Huka
Falls the river falls prey to
human indignity, becoming
a d a mn e d -u p sti l l -w a ter
lake behind the gates of the
Aratiatia hydro-dam.

Dam Let the flood begin (4pm)

Taupo/Tonga

But, HOORAY…instead
of lamely ending this story
with some “man-kills-nature”
lament, let’s celebrate! Instead
of completely killing a once-
natural whitewater gorge, the
clever Kiwi engineers at Aratiatia
have created a magnificent
menage-a-trois of economics,
ecology, and tourism. Most of
the Waikato River is funneled
underground at Aratiatia into
power turbines….but WHAM!...
every two hours bells and
whistles sound, the flood gates
are raised, and a half-hour
torrent of river is allowed to rage
through the natural Aratiatia
View from downstream viewpoint gorge. And RAGE it does,
150
arguably outdoing Huka itself for whitewater pizzazz! The re-born river
instantly surges to life like the “hole shot” start of a motorbike race—blasting
into the first turn then zig-zagging into a steep boulder garden, all the while
gaining both fury and resplendent blue-ness. You gotta see it!
At the Aratiatia carpark, located next to the dam that releases the flow,
there’s now a timer showing the water-release countdown. In summertime
the half-hour flow is released at 10am, noon, 2, and 4…in winter just 10,
noon, and 2. Most tourists just watch from the walkway atop the dam, but…

Lower viewpoint
Flood begins... Flood rages!

(Psssst, come close to hear a secret—see how I hide this bit down here
where most tourists won’t read it. If you want to watch this spectacle at a
really neat spot without the typical summertime crowds, then drive over the Taupo/Tonga
dam and another 4km, taking a left onto Rapids Rd and following it down
to the lower powerhouse. Park, walk across the bridge exactly up to the
fence, then turn right along the fence’s gravel path…and near the path’s
end find the scramble path down to the confluence rocks. Whoa, be ready
for an up-close spectacle of sound and spray as the wild river hurtles to
embrace its power-turbine tamed brother! At this river-level secret spot
you’ll witness a de-watered rock slope become a full-on class-V mist-
belching torrent….a furious remembrance of the river that once was…the
untamed Aratiatia. Most likely the River Jet jetboat tour will roar up for a
look-see too. If you’re a super Frenzier, scout the whole place ahead of
time (upper and lower), and then you might plan to watch the release from
the top, then quick-drive down to the bottom to catch the lower spectacle
too. That’s what I do—see ya there!)

DRIVING: The signed turn for Aratiatia is on SH5, 5.5km north

of Huka Falls Rd and just 2 km north of the SH1 roundabout to
Hamilton. The dam carpark is 2km down the road.

151
 G2 HUKA FALLS
(Say: Hooka)

BLUE BLUE BLUE WATERFALL

Walk: Easy 5-minute stroll

Google
Coords -38.649578 176.089476 OBSCUR-O-METER

Huka Falls is one of

the most beautiful tourist
attractions in NZ. Expect a
mob of people, but also expect
beauty to make your heart
sing. Huka’s a blue ribbon of
eye-candy…Yum! The “Falls”
are a 100m basalt crevice
channeling the Waikato River
into a frothing aquamarine
frenzy before spilling the
torrent over a 15m ledge into
a bubbling pool. It’s quite a
sight and everyone excitedly
takes the exact same pictures
from the guard-railed viewpoints. If it’s sunny out your “Huka Blue” will
turn out fantastic.
The Falls are only a few steps from the carpark, so this is an all ages
attraction. A footbridge spans the channel to the busy-busy far side, but
if you want a bit quieter scene, then find the carpark-side path to a less-
crowded overlook. Wait long enough and surely the “HUKA JET” will roar
up with a load of big-spenders to do
Taupo/Tonga

some delightful power circles.

The far side of the channel offers
two walking tracks. Downstream
are the Aratiatia rapids (I don’t
recommend this track—the rapids
are a must-see, but drive there to
give yourself some flexibility—see
entry G1). Upstream though is
a nice track leading along the
Waikato River for about 2.5km to Crazed
the Spa Park hot spring (G6). This kayaker
track sports great views of the
crystalline river the entire way.

DRIVING: Heading North out of Taupo on SH1, the Huka Falls loop
road is the clearly-signed right turn at the top of the hill. After
stopping at the lookout head 5km more to the signed carpark.
Past the Falls the road loops back to SH1 (opposite the Craters
of the Moon entrance.)
152
 G3 CRATERS OF THE MOON
GEOTHERMAL ODDITY
Walk: Easy 45-60 minute (2km) loop

• Fee: $5 per person

Google
Coords -38.644478 176.070857 OBSCUR-O-METER

Seething earth, hissing

fumaroles, and steaming
cauldrons of death…all
safely viewed from the
planked walkway that
snakes through this primeval
geothermal “newcomer.”
Strangely, Craters of the
Moon hasn’t been around
long, at least in geologic
age…and signs along the
walkway will illuminate this
fascinating history.
Crater Viewpoint Craters is a Taupo must-
see, even if you’ve been to Rotorua’s best. The steaming mist clouds
that wisp over the tortured landscape, engulfing you in their other-worldly
humid embrace, are an experience not to miss. At points along the track
elevated view platforms let you spy down into this hissing, spitting devil’s
domain. Look close because there’s a chance you might see Gollum
leading Frodo and Sam on their fated quest to Mt Doom. Don’t dawdle or
leave the path though, lest Sauron’s evil eye spots you and he sends the
ring wraiths…….aaaiiiyyyyyy!!
Taupo/Tonga

Gollum’s Lair

DRIVING: The not-very-well-signed access road is about 7km

north of Taupo on SH1, directly across from Huka Falls’ northern
entrance (and Heli-pad.) Head 2km to the road-end.

153
 G4 ORAKEI KORAKO
(Say: Ora-kai core-ahko)

commercial geothermal wonderland

Walk: Moderate one/two-hour loop

• Fee: $36-ish per person admission

Google
Coords -38.473990 176.143940 OBSCUR-O-METER

Orakei Korako bills

itself as a hidden valley…
and I guess it is actually
hidden a little farther from
Roto-Vegas than the other
geothermal attractions,
but it’s hardly hidden from
summertime sightseeing
masses. It is an impressive
place—an entire hill of silica
terraces bedecked with
Looking across lake to terraces
fumaroles, geysers, mud
pits, and a somewhat unique cave. Oh, and you get to take a boat ride
across narrow Lake Ohakuri to access the geothermal wonders. This
place isn’t as mobbed as Waiotapu (F20),
but it’s not quite as dazzling either—in my
not-so-humble opinion.
What I particularly like about Orakei is
that they welcome campervans to overnight
in their carpark for free (restrooms and
water available). Why this makes a big
difference is that it allows you to Beat Mud
Taupo/Tonga

The Crowds! If you wake up, get your cuppa joe and motivate for the
8am opening, you’ll have virtually the entire place to yourself, because
most visitors or buses drive from either Rotorua or Taupo, and thus they
arrive a bit later. I tend to hate crowds
of yammering shutter-happy tourists,
and 8am at Orakei Korako is blissfully
quiet—except for the squawking, yet
funny, Pukeko birds. As you leave at
10am and pass the incoming tourists…
just nod and smile at a day well frenzied.
Inside the cave

DRIVING: From Taupo it’s about 25 minutes—go north on SH1

and stay left on SH1 at the roundabout just past Wairakei, then
14km more to Tutukau Rd and signs for Orakei. Turn right, go
9km then left for 5km to the park.
From Rotorua it’s about 45 minutes—take SH5 south, pass
Waiotapu then Golden Springs. Just 3km past Golden Sprgs
turn right onto Tutukau Rd. Head 16km then turn right at signs,
then 5km more.
154
 G5 KINLOCH-KAWAKAWA BAY TRACK
fROM LOW-KEY BAY TO LOWER- KEY BAY
Walk: Moderate 100-min. (8km) one-way
• Elevation trailhead: 360m
• Elevation pass: 480m
Google
Coords -38.663144 175.919797 OBSCUR-O-METER

The shoreline village of Kinloch is akin to a mini-me-Taupo. Kinloch’s

got homes, a few shops, a marina, and a scenic beach front…but no
crowds, no row-of-motels, no tourism hoopla. If you want to experience a
beautiful Lake Taupo beach, minus the traffic, minus the tourist parasailing
boat, minus the floating hole-in-one golf…then take an easy 20km drive
to Kinloch for an afternoon of sun, sand, swimming…and maybe a long
bay-to-bay walk.

Kawakawa Track

Kinloch Beach

From Kinloch’s quiet shore a walking track heads west along the
shoreline and then up over a headland before descending to remote
Kawakawa Bay. This track is evenly-graded and recently re-surfaced to
make it Mtn-bike friendly. What this means is a wide track with no super-
steep ups or downs—a great track that invites long conversations rather
than huff ‘n’ puff heavy breathing. This is also an exceptional track for
Taupo/Tonga
trail-runners.
The track’s destination is Kawakawa Bay and the main attraction once
there is simple undeveloped serenity. There is a “beach”, but just barely—
it’s a strip of soft pebbles about 3-4 meters wide. This is enough beach to
sun and swim…and enjoy the view of the snow-capped Tongariro Mtns
presiding over the distant Karangahape Cliffs.
Tongariro Mtns Walk On Kinloch’s beach walk west
along shoreline to pick up the signs and
DoC markings. It’s about 70 minutes to the
viewpoint top of the track, then about 30
more minutes down to Kawakawa Bay. At
the viewpoint look in the distance for Otupoto
Falls spilling into the lake (just left of the
distant headland point), and conical 1165m
Kawakawa Bay Mt Pureora on the western horizon.

DRIVING: On SH1 heading north out of Taupo, in just 1km look for
Kinloch signs, turn left and follow signs for 20km to beachfront
parking.
155
 G6 SPA PARK NATURAL HOT SPRING
FREE NATURAL HOT SPRING
Walk: Easy 5-minute one-way

• Bring: swimsuit, water sandals, towel

Google
Coords -38.669540 176.085499 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Spa Park hot springs

are one of the island’s
finest natural, free, and
undeveloped hot springs—
surprisingly located just
minutes from downtown
Taupo. It’s as if Mother
Nature married Father
Tourism and Spa Park was
their baby! These hot pools
are amazing—a too-hot steaming stream cascades down a hillside and
then waterfalls into the chillier Waikato River. The waters blend where
stream meets river into a spacious group soaking experience—there’s
a temperature and soaking spot that’s “just right” for everyone. Every
Taupo hostel tells its kids about this walk-to wonder-spot, so expect a fun-
loving multi-cultural dozen-or-more backpackers fresh from the Tongariro
Crossing. Maybe the locals know that they get it all to themselves the rest
of the year—wow, this must be heaven in the winter.
No matter who you are, how old, or how fit…as long as you don’t expect
any sort of solitude, you’ll enjoy a social soak/steam/swim.
Taupo/Tonga

Hot waterfall

Waikato River

156
 Taupo/Tonga

The hot waterfall (uphill)

DRIVING: From Taupo’s city center (at the grocery store) take
Spa Park Rd up (NE) about 2km, keeping straight at a fork, then
making the next quick left onto County Rd into the park (before the
Event Centre). Head to the road-end carpark then walk downhill
on the path 5 minutes towards the river.
NOTE: The carpark closes when the sign says it will (6-9pm,
seasonally). The gate will get locked promptly at the specified
time. If you arrive near the specified gate-closing hour, it’s best
to park before the gate and walk an extra 5 minutes rather than
having to call the # and pay the late-release fee after they lock
you in.
157
 G7 WHAKAMOENGA POINT
(Say: Fah-ka moe-enga)

exceptionally scenic swimming/sunning rocks

Walk: Easy 15-minute, 1km walk

• Bring: swimsuit, mask, snorkel

Google
Coords -38.736222 176.014778 OBSCUR-O-METER

Whakamoenga Point is far, far off-

the-beaten-track, though it’s still close
to downtown Taupo. It’s also my very
favorite place to swim and sun on the
entire lakeshore of the great Lake Taupo.
Every boatie on Lake Taupo knows of
the point since they cruise by it on the
way to see the famed water-accessed
Maori-carved rocks, but very few people know of the walking access to
the scenic point.
What makes this point so different, other than it jutting out into azure
blue waters of the lake, is that the shoreline surrounding the point is
neither pebbly beach nor thick bush. Instead, the shoreline is a shelf of
odd flatish yellow rock, almost like a petrified beach. What makes this
place a fun place to swim is that there are channels between the rocks
and deep drop-offs good for diving and such. The yellow rocks give the
clear Taupo waters a greenish hue like that of the Caribbean Sea—Nice!
Bring a mask and snorkel and you’ll have fun frolicking amidst the armada
of floating hunks of pumice.

Lookout trig
Taupo/Tonga

Whaka rock “beach”

158
Lake channels and floating pumice

Hidden carved totem

Taupo/Tonga

Walk From the carpark follow the pointer towards Whakamoenga

Point. The track follows pointers keeping you off the private housing
development on the ridge above. Halfway to the point you’ll cross a private
boat ramp—just keep going along the path. The path ends onto the rock
shelf of the point….but, just one sub-point back, if you take a quick detour
on the path to the rock shelf that’s split in two by a channel of water…a
surprise carved totem awaits if you explore left and left again over the
rocks (check my pix on my site and GoogEarth).

DRIVING: From Taupo the access is west towards Acacia Bay,

then past it. From Taupo head north on the highway and take the
first left after crossing the Waikato River bridge. Head towards
Acacia Bay for 5km, then keep going past it for 4km more. You’ll
begin to see signs for Rangitira Pt tracks—keep going to the final
carpark before the “Keep out” sign for the private development.
Whakamoenga Point is signed from this final carpark.

159
 G8 MT. TAUHARA
(Say: Tow-harra)

scenic trail/panoramic view

Tramp: Difficult 65-80 min (4.5km) one-way
• Elevation carpark: 550m
• Elevation top: 1008m
Google
Coords -38.695440 176.162144 OBSCUR-O-METER

Mt. Tauhara (1008m) Mt Tauhara is the

extinct volcanic cone that
rises 750m above Taupo.
This peak is the double-
humped mountain on
the far horizon when you
look over Lake Taupo
from the Tongariro
Crossing. Courtesy of the
Tauhara Maoris there’s
a challenging track that
climbs to the trig on the
The track’s guardians
peak. This tramping track
ascends relentlessly, but provides the novel feeling of walking in a
centuries-old trough.
Halfway up is a Mt. Ruapehu Mt. Ngauruhoe
welcome viewpoint
bench…and ¾ the
way is a nice icy-cold
surprise.
Once you finally
top-out at the trig, Airport
Taupo/Tonga

head out to the

farther rocky point
Tauhara view south
to find the glorious
picnic rock. The view is !!!!, looking down over Taupo town, Taupo lake,
and the Tongariro snow peaks in the distance. Also, be sure to look to the
Pairs o’ north to see Rotorua’s massive Mt. Tarawera
chutes with pointy Rainbow Mountain (F14) to its left.
Bonus fun is watching for the daily skydivers
magically appear—pop, pop, pop—over the
airstrip (a little to the right of the distant Mt.
Tongariro). Bring binoculars and you can see
the parachutes as they land.

DRIVING: From Taupo head east towards Napier on SH5 for 5.5km,
turn left onto signed Mountain Rd and follow it to the road-end
carpark. The beginning of the track is through open cow pasture,
but soon it enters shady forest for most of the climb.

160
 G9 LAKE ROTOPOUNAMU
(Say: Row-tow poo-nahmoo)

forested lakeshore track

Walk: Moderate 1.5 hour (6km) loop

Google
Coords -39.024418 175.734536 OBSCUR-O-METER

This bush-clad lake is great as an easy stroll for Tongariro-tired legs,

or as a nice family hike. Giant trees line the track—Rimu, Beech, etc. The
track is mostly level around the lake (except for the steepish start) and it
swings you by some excellent sandy swimming beaches. The best and
biggest beach is at the far end of the lake.
Alas, the only drawback is that the lake doesn’t feature any mountain
views, so the trees, birds, water—and general lack of crowds—are the
attractions here. If you’re heading to Tongariro and crest the hill and see
the mountains clouded-in, maybe stop here for a nice walk and hope the
mountains will be “out” when you finish.

Taupo/Tonga

The far shore (east) beach

DRIVING: From Turangi take SH47 for 8.5km. Crest the hill and as
you begin descending, slow down for the road-edge parking area.
Coming from Tongariro the signed highway-side parking is
1km past the signed Opotaka site.

161
 G10 TOKAANU THERMAL POOLS & PARK
(Say: Toe-ka ah-noo)
public $$ soaking pools and free thermal
walkway
Walk: Easy 15-minute loop
• Bring: swimsuit, eggs, socks
Google OBSCUR-O-METER
Coords -38.967549 175.764330

The Tokaanu Thermal Baths

are a no-frills commercial hot spring
operation—just private soaking
tubs and one social swimming-type
pool. This place, just minutes NW of
Turangi, is the perfect place to sooth
tired muscles from tough days tramping on Tongariro. The big pool is about
$5pp, while the private tubs are $7pp for 20 minutes.
Here’s what few people
Bubbling know about Tokaanu: in
geyser
back of the public pools is
a DoC Thermal Reserve
which features a free 15-
minute walkway touring
some steaming ponds and
bubbling mud pits. Nice
enough…but notice that
gurgling, steaming mini-
geyser over to the left of the
dirt road? Hmmm, when was
the last time you boiled an
egg in a geyser while you soaked in the same (but cooler) water? Right…
Taupo/Tonga

never! Where else on this planet can you do this? Thank the clever Maoris
of the local Iwi for the chance, because they’ve cemented two people-
sized tubs over by the creek and dug a trench over from the mini-geyser.
Perfectly engineered so only a
trickle of hot water flows when the
geyser sporadically spews, thus the
tubs aren’t boiling hot—and there’s
often a bucket to fetch cold water Cooling
from the nearby creek. Balance the the tub
HOT with some cold…then ahhh, a
very unique free soak!
And, oh yeah, about the egg…a
Maori man told me, “Yeah mate, just
hold some eggs down in that geyser
for ten minutes and they’ll be done
sweet as!” Laughing, I drove back
to the nearby Oasis store, bought
eggs and returned. I put one in a
Geyser stream
clean sock, tied the sock to a stick,
162
 submerged the stick for ten
minutes… Best Egg Ever! I Eggs
made all six—two at a time,
l while I soaked. I love this Geyser
place… I love this island!
Please respect this sacred
Maori land to the utmost, as
they have had problems with
vandals here. If any locals
are around, be super-polite
and they usually are happy to
share a bit of the local culture.
Needless to say, Leave No
Trace.
Stick

Note By 2015 the hot Sock

tubs no longer were being
filled by the geyser. Nature
seems to have changed.
Eggs still boil though, but
more like 12 minutes.
I’ve learned to use Cook 10 mins.
grocery store bags
instead of socks. Still
love it!

Taupo/Tonga

Best egg ever!

DRIVING: Go 4km west of Turangi on SH41. Entering the village

of Tokaanu the Thermal Pools are on the back street on the left.
For the walkway/geyser, park in the commercial carpark and walk
behind the pools on the signed pathway.
163
 G11 TE PORERE REDOUBT/OPOTAKA SITE
THE bEST STILL-VISIBLE HISTORIC FORTRESS/
BATTLE SCENE REMNANTS IN NZ
Walk: Easy-ish 15-20 minute walk to both
redoubt ruins

Google
Coords -39.045292 175.593114 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Te Porere Redoubt site features the incredible remains of two

1869 Maori-built fortifications. This seldom-visited site receives little
fanfare, but actually delivers big bang-for-the-buck historic interest.
Throughout the North Island there are signs frequently about “Pa sites”,
but usually there’s nothing much to see because erosion has wiped out
historic earthworks. Not so at Te Porere!! Within a short walk here are two
British-type fortifications built by the warrior/prophet/rebel Te Kooti during
the final phases of the 1860s NZ/Maori “Land Wars”. These redoubts are
still intact, making Te Porere one of the most visually interesting historic
sites in all NZ.
Info panels describe Te Kooti and his many-year flight throughout the
central North Island…sometimes attacking, sometimes fleeing Crown
pursuit. At Te Porere Te Kooti made his final major stand against the
Crown’s troops and this site is thus considered the last battle in the New
Zealand Wars. Te Kooti wasn’t captured here (he never was captured),
but his warriors were dealt a stinging defeat with 41 Maori dead and only
4 Crown deaths. Inside the upper redoubt is a grave marker plaque on
the actual group tomb of Te Kooti’s warriors.
In terms of perspective about the 1860s NZ Land Wars that even
today continue to shape the politics of NZ, Te Porere Redoubt could be
Taupo/Tonga

Te Kooti’s fortress
164
 1869 earthworks

considered the “tip of the iceberg”…as it’s just a small evident bit of a much
grander and more fascinating story. Here’s how to better enjoy and
appreciate your visit to Te Porere: read “Te Kooti’s War” on Wikipedia,
as it gives a fine summation. If you then take a photo of the info panel
at the carpark detailing Te Kooti’s marches throughout the island, and
re-read the Wikipedia article at the same time, you’ll get a much more
robust appreciation as to how the battle at Te Porere fits into the” Wars”
era. Another item that internet histories give better detail is how Te Kooti
mis-built his fortress, aiming to imitate and adapt the Crown defensive
fortification model, but overlooking a key piece of how the rifle loopholes
should be made and aimed. This oversight, more than anything, caused
the overwhelming rout of Te Kooti. Inside the redoubts you may be able
to see some remnants of these failed rifle holes!
On my site I have links to historic articles, as well as a photo of the Te
Kooti map, in case you want to read a little before your visit.

Sign at Opotaka
Taupo/Tonga

Opotaka “2 Maori Homes” Historic Site

Opotaka can be a quick stop in conjunction with a visit to nearby
Te Porere. Opotaka is an interpreted Maori Village site with a great
picturesque view of Lake Rotoaira. But, what makes a stop to Opotaka
especially interesting is that Opotaka is the birthplace of the Haka dance
that the All Blacks Rugby team does before each game. Really! Signs at
the site tell the story…and I bet next time you watch an All Blacks game with
your friends you’ll end up impressing them that you know the Haka’s story.

DRIVING: Te Porere is signed on SH 47. The access road is 1.5km

south (towards Tongariro) of the Rangipo Junction of SH 46, just
past the campground/adventure center. Coming from the south
it’s 2.7km north of the Edmund Hillary Center.
The Opotaka site is signed on SH47, 12km north of Te Porere...
or just 1km south of Lake Rotopounamu.

165
 G12 OKUPATA CAVE
(Say: Okku-pahta)

wild uncommercialized cave and stream

Tramp: Difficult cave scrambling, crouching,
crawling, clambering, cursing
• Bring: two torches/headlamps, water shoes
Google
Coords -39.049478 175.500744 OBSCUR-O-METER

Explore this cave on an overcast

day when the Tongariro volcanoes
are clouded in.
This cave’s for ADVENTURERS
ONLY! No whiney tour-seeking tourists allowed. Don’t even think of
venturing out here without two torches and water shoes. Also, don’t come
out “just for a peek,” because you won’t see anything.
What you’ve got here is a small
stream that disappears into a fractured,
jungly, limestone bluff…not scenic,
but darkly mysterious. There are 3
different ways into the cave, each
requiring ducking, shimmying, and
lowering…and then you’ve got the
shallow underground streambed to
negotiate. Once inside though…water-
carved passages create a maze of inter-
connected tunnels where the trickling
stream echoes off glowworm-lit yellow
flowstone. Wow! At first the cave may
seem scary and confusing like you’re
going to lose your way…and it is. The
Taupo/Tonga

DoC brochure (sometimes available at

the Turangi I-site), says the cave is for
“experienced cavers only”. Really though, it’s not that
bad—just remember that you can follow the water
back upstream to get out—you can’t get lost.
The best entrance to begin with is probably the
far side of the stream. It’s tight at first but then opens
up. There are two “squeeze” entrances on either side
of the ladder—maybe try to find your way out one.
Oh, and did I tell you about the dry sandy “picnic”
alcove or the small double waterfall that marks the
end of explorable terrain? Good adventure in here.
Yellow limestone
cave porn
DRIVING: From Turangi take SH47 towards Whakapapa. Pass
the Hillary Center and in 5km more look for the DoC-signed road
on the right (9km north of Whakapapa Rd if you come from the
south). Go 12km of slow unsealed road (about 20 minutes) to the
obvious “Okupata Cave” sign.
166
 G13 TONGARIRO CROSSING
(Say: Tonga-reer-oh)
fabled "best day walk" on island
Tramp: Difficult 7-hour (17km) one-way
• Bring: foul weather clothing, food, drink...luck
Google Start: -39.144791 175.581041
Coords
Finish: -39.073456 175.663573 OBSCUR-O-METER

The “Crossing” is definitely Start of Track

the most advertised track on the
island, and definitely the most
popular. It’s 17km of exceptional
volcanic territory. You’ll ascend to
the barren foot of Mt. Ngauruhoe
(Mt. Doom), pass craters, emerald
lakes, a blue lake…all the while
traversing a moon-like volcanic wasteland. Finally, you’ll see the steam-
billowing Ketatahi Hot Springs before trudging to the finish. Once upon a
time you could actually soak in Ketatahi, but not anymore.
Begin “Crossing” OK, this track is perfect for fit people
into the cloud wanting a one-day Tongariro blitz,
especially those without their own car.
Shuttle buses run from every nearby
town, and for about $25-$40 they deliver
you to the start and then pick you up
at the end. Details are available at any
I-Site. Mid-tramp clouds
Here’s the drawbacks of the Tongariro
Crossing: there are 400-500 daily trampers,
every summer day…and they all arrive by bus
between 6-10am. Thus, there will be no moment Taupo/Tonga
of solitude anywhere on “The Crossing”.
Possibly worse is the ever-fickle weather of Tongariro. You usually have to
book and pay the day before, so in the morning you’ll go almost regardless
of the weather (a REALLY awful forecast will cancel the day’s trips though).
Upon getting to the trailhead, if it looks clouded-in, it may burn off any
minute—maybe. Millions have slogged this track the entire way in rain and
cloud, never seeing a peak. Alas, there’s no turning back if it starts pouring
rain—you just have to tough it out while mumbling to yourself, “finest one-
day walk.” Do I sound like a kill-joy? Finish “Crossing”
Maybe, but I want to help prepare out of the cloud
your expectations. Most people have
an absolutely fabulous tramp through
this eerie and captivating landscape,
regardless of the weather or crowds.
But if you are a do-it-yourselfer and
like to stay off the beaten track, then
possibly consider a Mt. Ngauruhoe
out/back (G14).
167
 G14 MT. NGAURUHOE
(Say: Nah-ooh-roo-hoe-ee)
best day tramp for do-it-yourselfers
Tramp: Difficult 5-7 hour out and back
• Bring: rain gear, hat, gloves, food, water,
binoculars. Cold beer in car.
• Elevation carpark: 1,120m
• Elevation
Google
top: 2,291m OBSCUR-O-METER
Coords -39.155641 175.633621

The 2,291m summit of this young perfect volcanic cone is remarkable!!!!

Mt Ngauruhoe’s symmetry, with its amazing 33° slopes, starred as Mt.
Doom in LOTR. Now it’s time for you to make like Frodo and bear your
own ring to this beckoning pinnacle. I can’t praise this volcano enough—
it’s EPIC, it’s charismatic, it’s the veritable belly-button of the island…and
every time you see its image on a postcard/poster you’ll be proud to have
been on top. Go for it!
From Ngauruhoe’s crater you can see everywhere—Lake Taupo
glistens, Taranaki pokes, and two Tama Lakes guide your eyes over to
Ruapehu’s jagged crown. You can even see the Tongariro Crossers march
like ants around Blue Lake. Sadly, the Emerald Lakes are the only gems
you can’t see from the top of Ngauruhoe. Oh man, the glory of the crater
is breathtaking!
Here’s the scoop for do-it-yourselfers: you start at the same trailhead
as the Crossing, but if you’ve got your own car you can try to avoid the
500-or-so daily Crossers. The last bus of Crossers typically arrives around
9:30am, thus the advantage of tramping an out/back up Ngauruhoe (and
possibly over to the Emeralds) is that you can avoid Crosser crowds by
starting after 10am and giving the busloads a healthy head-start. Also,
you can get a good look at how the day’s weather is shaping up before
you begin. Note: In summertime the carpark is often full by 10-11 am. The
Taupo/Tonga

“secret” is out, with no easy solution for the overcrowding, except forcing
you to take a shuttle.

Mt Ngauruhoe

The fast
route
The “ridge” down
route up

Mt. Ngauruhoe from the south crater plain. 600m climb!

168
 Taupo City Mt. Tauhara

Lake Taupo

Blue Lake
Emerald
Lakes
Tongariro
Crossing

The view north from Mt. Ngauruhoe Crater

Of course you wouldn’t start in the rain—but be warned—just because

it’s sunny at 10am doesn’t mean it’ll be sunny in an hour…go prepared!
At least if the weather sours you can bail out and backtrack and wait for
a better day, unlike the Crossers who have to just keep trudging into and
through awful weather.
Tramp Take a photo of the carpark map. Up to Soda Springs is an
easy 45 minutes (all times are my times), then up the endless staircases
for 40 minutes to the South Crater Plain. Whew.
Now, to climb Ngauruhoe, the “easiest” route up is to grapple near the
rocky fin left of the white stripe. There is no one track, nor is there’s any
“easy” here, as this is a 90 minute
slog up the loose energy-sucking Crater rim
talus—about a 600m climb. Finally, Taupo/Tonga
topping out, be sure to circle the
sub-crater and look/smell for some
steaming vents before looking down
into the depths Doom itself.
Now the descent…if you’re keen
for fun and danger then just leap
and skid down the deep soft talus
along the white stripe for a 15-minute
whooping express to the bottom. The cautious will go more slowly, but
either way it’s a fast descent. Once down either head back, or if the sun’s
out and you’re energized, head right and climb another 200m to the lip of
Red Crater to see the little Emerald Lakes. Head back the way you came.

DRIVING: From Turangi take SH47 for 36km to signed Mangatepopo

Rd (4km north of Whakapapa Rd.) Carpark is 7km up this bumpy
gravel road. Parking can be limited…maybe DoC will increase it
soon, hope hope.

169
 G15 WHAKAPAPA VILLAGE
(Say: Fakka-poppa)

scenic vistas/mt. ruapehu access/waterfalls

Scenic drive to difficult summit tramp,
or various shorter walks

Google
Coords -39.200847 175.539355 OBSCUR-O-METER

Whakapapa Village is where the

summertime action is on Mt. Ruapehu—
Visitor Centre, Chateau Tongariro, golf,
campground, backpackers, restaurants,
and pubs. It sits at about 1100m. Also, up
the road 7km from Whakapapa is the “Top
O’ the Bruce” Whakapapa ski field (1640m)
and the scenic tourist chairlifts that also
help you on your tramp to the summit of
Ruapehu. Whakapapa Village is adventure
and eye-candy whether you are keen to
tramp or simply want to sightsee from car,
chateau, or chairlift. Don’t leave the North
Island without visiting Whakapapa!
Here’s a rundown of Whakapapa’s
activities: Taranaki Falls
Visitor Centre: A must-see for its movies, maps, and interesting info.
Taranaki Falls: A super-popular moderate loop track to see a nice waterfall
spitting off a rocky cliff (90-120 minutes for entire loop). Springtime is the
most dramatic. Counter-clockwise is best for Mt Ngauruhoe views.
Silica Rapids: Head up a rushing river to see odd yellow silica deposits
in the streambed. It’s about 50 minutes to the Silica Rapids viewpoint, then
Taupo/Tonga

head back the way you came.

Mt. Doom

Tawhai Falls Silica Rapids Walk

170
 Mt. Ruapehu
Dome Shelter

Summit
tramp

Whakapapa Chalet before Feb ’09 arson

Tawhai Falls: These falls, just 2km up the Whakapapa Rd, are a
photographer’s delight on a sunny day. An easy quick 3-minute walk guides
you to the bottom of this 8m cascade.
Ruapehu Crater Lake tramp: (2 hours one-way after chairlifts, 4-5 hours
total.) This difficult tramp starts at the Top ‘O the Bruce (1640m) and tops
out near the Dome Shelter and the crater lake at 2672m. The funnest way
to do this tramp is to pay around $24pp and take two chairlifts up the first
400m of the track to 2020m. (You can also just huff ‘n puff under the lifts
if you want to.) From the top of the chairlift the route isn’t marked—you
just pick a course upward (the base-area ticket office has the only maps
and info—be sure to ask questions down there.)
Begin heading up under the higher lift. At its end, if snow doesn’t block
the way, the easiest route is to cut right, cross the gully and up the steep
rocky pitch. Pathways become more obvious approaching the top ridge. Taupo/Tonga
At the ridge go right to traverse to the shelter and its lake view. The crater
lake is the primary goal, because Ruapehu’s summit isn’t any one peak—it’s
a bunch of jagged ridges with none shouting “summit.” Regardless, the
views are stunners and you’ve climbed the island’s highest peak. Heading
down, if you bring a pair
of gloves, it’s super fun to
try to crouch and glissade
down the snow gully—you’ll
see the tracks! Wooohooo
you’ll be down and ready Dome
Crater Lake
to hoist a celebratory beer Shelter
in no time!

Top of Mt. Ruapehu

DRIVING: From Turangi take SH47 40km then left at signed

Whakapapa Rd. Follow road up past village to the high road-end.

171
 G16 RUAPEHU’S WOWLAND
(Say: Roo-ah-pay-hoo)

volcanic waterfall wonderland

Tramp/scramble: Difficult 7km off-trail route

• Elevation: 1350m to 1620m

Google
Coords -39.309345 175.516781 OBSCUR-O-METER

This adventurous on-trail/off-trail loop route on the flank of Mt Ruapehu

is so unknown that it leaves the obscurometer hanging limp in disbelief.
This rugged loop also features an array of astoundingnesses that easily
ranks it as Frenzy’s favorite outing in all the Taupo/Tongariro region. This
Wowland loop is jaw-drop incredible just like the Tongariro Crossing….but
with zero people and zero fanfare. How can this be? How can a landscape
SO magnificent, and so near a marked DoC trailhead/track…remain
virtually unknown?? Come see for yourself.

Mt Ruapehu

1st
stream

DoC
poles
Taupo/Tonga

Start of Round-the-Mtn track

In a nutshell, off-trail portion of this route leaves the marked Round-

the-Mountain Track to explore a rocky open-vista’d slope of Mt Ruapehu
which is bisected by two streams tumbling over a series of unique waterfalls.
Each stream and its waterfalls are EXTRAORDINARY to say the least.
The streambeds are bizarrely colored yellow from silica deposits and the
waterfalls and their rainbows, whether you are in front, beside, or behind
them…are mesmerizingly unique. To add to the grandeur of this rarely-
seen landscape you’ve got Ruapehu’s jagged snow-capped crown towering
above. Whoa, unexpected visual delights hidden amidst what appears at
first to be a barren landscape. Bam, pow! Oh, and yeah then there’salso
an odd gushing spring amidst the lava rocks affectionately nicknamed “Lil
Squirt”… but Frenzy isn’t going to describe this peculiar oddity because
you should just experience the surprise of it for yourself.
This Wowland route is a difficult one that takes route-finding skills
and is only meant for good summer weather. If low clouds come in
you’ll likely become disoriented, get lost, get cold…and then soon die.
172
 Seriously, if you’re unfit, a klutz,
or have poor direction-following
skills…or the weather looks iffy…
then skip this outing and stick to the
Tongariro Crossing and its glorious
hype. However, if you’re a nimble-
footed Frenzy-loving adventurer,
well, this route is the very soul of
NZ Frenzying…where you’ll find
a glorious raw landscape full of
photogenic spots that, at least in
2016, neither the public nor Google
seems aware of. However, this
landscape isn’t completely unknown.
It appears that hard-core rock-
climbers have claimed a waterfall
overhang as their secret playground.
You’ll see when you get there. They
must be keeping the spot at least
semi-secret, for Frenzy couldn’t find
neither a word nor photo via Google
in 2016. Yet one more surprise in
1st Falls Wowland!

Tramp/Scramble NOTE: It’s best to check my blog to see

sketch-maps of this route to give you a necessary visual
overview.
From the carpark head down the Round-the-Mtn track (RTM), past
the creek, then up the ridge. When you top the ridge after only about 15
minutes, you can see ahead and up to three waterfalls. The first, with the
yellow top, is what I’ll call 1st Falls (on 1st Creek), the 2nd, harder to see
Taupo/Tonga
but with green to its left, is 2nd falls on the 2nd creek….and the farthest big
falls, easily visible, is 3rd falls on 3rd creek. (These names are to help you
with your bearings from here onwards.) Keep to the poled route for a bit

Falling
water
Taranaki

Looking out
from behind
1st Falls

Continued
173
 more, and as it begins descending,
just after a derelict curved-steps
section…when you can first hear
a rushing creek up ahead/right…
leave the RTM route and head to
the creekbed. This spot marks
the begin/end section of this loop
adventure—you’ll return to this
spot, from below along the RTM
track, to complete the loop back to
Li’l S uirt the carpark.

So, leave the RTM track and descend into the yellowed-creek’s rushing
canyon, and then begin tramping upstream along the rocky shoulder until
you crest the hill and see the obvious 1st falls ahead. At 1st falls, circle
behind it, where if you’re lucky you’ll see pointy Taranaki from behind the
veil. Now scramble above the falls on either shoulder to its gushing lip…
and then head upstream just 200m to find where all this mysterious silica-
rich water comes from—the odd Lil Squirt. Surprise, a spring shaped like
a rainbow!
From the spring head
4th Falls
overland northwards up
over the next ridge to spy
2nd falls on 2nd creek.
Visit the falls upstream if
you wish, but then follow
2nd creek downstream,
past another oh-wow
yellow cascade, to the lip
of the heretofore hidden
4th falls (4th falls is on 2nd
Taupo/Tonga

creek). 4th falls hurtles off

a very overhung lip…so
to get under 4th, you’ll Rock
need to backtrack a bit climbing
up to the north along the routes
rock escarpment until the
slope eases enough to let
you grapple a way down
to the ground level that
will lead back around to
the base of 4th. Contour
towards 4th, and as you
get there, whoa, check
out all those climbing routes under 4th’s severe overhang! Navigate the
climber’s path under the cliff and behind the rainbowing waterfall, then
scramble downstream to the lip of 5th-7th falls. 5th spreads down an
angled slope of rock, yellowing as it goes, with a superb silica sidekick
sidling in before pouring a 6th, then a 7th falls into the streambed below.
Remarkable! Cue the famed Coldplay song as you grasp the spectacle.
174
 So, at the base of this wonderful weird canyon of yellowed waterfalls
and extreme rock climbing routes…you’ll now scramble downstream
along the creekbed, mostly on its north (right) side. A few hundred meters
downstream, yet more jaw-drops greet you, as well as the sight of the
marked poles of the RTM track this loop began on, as well as yet more
cascading waterfalls. Keep right of the creek until you meet the poled
RTM route at the spot it crosses the creek you’re following. Your route
now turns upward to finish the loop along the RTM, but beforehand you’ll
surely want to investigate the deluxe rock ridge that separates 1st creek
from 2nd creek, and all the surrounding visual glory. When you are sated,
simply head upstream along the poled RTM route, cross 1st creek, pass
the area where you split-off earlier, then a simple 15-minute backtrack to
the carpark.

4th Falls
Climbing
Routes

Taupo/Tonga
5th Falls

ellow
Cascades

6th-7th Falls

Loop goes down creek

175
 G17 OHAKUNE/TUROA SKI FIELDS
(Say: Oh-ha koo-nee / Too-roa)

scenic drive up mt. ruapehu

Easy sightseeing, moderate tracks

Google
Coords -39.306856 175.524709 OBSCUR-O-METER

Mt. Ruapehu Double Ohakune is the charming ski

Brown village at the base of the 17km
road which ascends to the Mt
Ruapehu’s Turoa ski-fields. In
summer this road is quiet and
mellow compared to the tourist
popularity over at Whakapapa. But,
truth be told, Whakapapa has a lot
more easy stuff to see. Still, the
Turoa
carpark road to Turoa has plenty of scenic
vistas, some waterfalls, and some
Hey, my pants match my van! great camping. Unfortunately the
waterfalls dry up to mere trickles by late summer, but if you’re around in
the springtime they’ll definitely be worth a look.
Highlights
Waitonga Falls: 12km up the road at the signed carpark. These 39m falls
are a moderate 30-minute walk over bridges, stairs, and a nice planked
walkway over a tussock meadow with
picturesque Ruapehu views. At the
falls you can scramble upstream to
see some mossy side-waterfalls also.
Taupo/Tonga

Mangawhero Falls: Signed on the

right at the 14km mark—but careful,
the little sign is easy to miss. An
easy 100m walk delivers you to a
view platform where Ruapehu reigns
directly above. Hey, whaddaya know
this was Gollum’s fish-eating-scene
waterfall in LOTR.
Turoa Skifields: Not much up here
at 1640m other than a huge carpark
with exceptional views. Watching an
epic sunset over Mt. Taranaki…bet
you’ll reach for another Steinlager! Waitonga Falls

DRIVING: In Ohakune take Goldfinch Rd up to its end to find

the start of Mountain Rd. Ohakune is at 600m, so Mountain
Rd ascends 1000m in the next 17km to the Turoa carpark—a
magnificent drive!!
176
 G18 TREE TRUNK GORGE/WAIKATO FALLS
WHITEWATER RIVER CHASMS
Drive-up views or short scrambles
Google
Coords
Waikato: -39.131147 175.823888
OBSCUR-O-METER
Tree Trunk: -39.170948 175.802450

Solitude isn’t Tongariro’s specialty,

but on the east side, off the Desert Road,
there are two small beauty spots far from
tourist crowds. In Tree Trunk Gorge the
Tongariro River, ice-cold and achingly
emerald, turns sideways in a frothing
torrent as it squeezes into a black basalt
chasm. You can stop on the bridge for
a quick look down into the dark slot…
but better yet, if you’re a fleet-footed
adventurer…a seeker of non-touristy
Tongariro sights…then off you go down the faint
River
trail at the bridge’s west end. Bring your
girlfriend and find a warm rock to heat
your buns or scramble upstream to find
a secluded sandy beach. Noonish sun
is best to see down into the spellbinding
blackwater lost-world abyss (hey, has
Looking into Tree Trunk Gorge
someone else used this description
before?)

Waikato Falls, downstream (north) of

Tree Trunk by 10km, culminates another Taupo/Tonga
churning chasm of the Tongariro River.
These Falls are easier to get to and
photograph, but the surrounding Power
Plant works takes a little away from the
natural beauty…but hey, gotta have
electricity right…who wants to be lost
in the dark? And, the power plant road
enables you to drive over its bridge to the
convenient viewpoint.
Waikato Falls

DRIVING: From Turangi head up the SH1 Desert Road. For Waikato
Falls go 15km and turn left on signed Kaimanawa Rd for 3km to
the bridge (access road down is just before bridge.)
For Tree Trunk Gorge continue south on SH1 for about 10km
more and turn left at signed Tree Trunk Gorge Rd then head 5km
to its bridge.
177
 Raglan/Waitomo/Taranaki
H

H1 Raglan/Bridal Veil Falls H11 Tongaporutu

H2 Mt. Karioi Tramp H12 Whitecliffs Walkway Lp
H3 Raglan - Bridal Veil Loop H13 Omaru Falls
H4 Raglan to Awakino Camping Rt H14 Paritutu Rock & Back Bay
H5 Kawhia/Aotea Beaches H15 Wreck of the Gairloch
H6 Taharoa Beach H16 Taranaki Surf Hwy
H7 Ruakuri Tunnels H17 Egmont Railway Lp
H8 West from Waitamo - Te Anga H18 Egmont National Park
H9 Waikawau Tunnel Beach H19 Patea Shipwreck & Lookout
H10 Awakino Heads/ Mokau H20 Waverley Beach
178
RAGLAN/WAITOMO/TARANAKI REGION
For a wild and uncommercialized stretch of NZ coast, the sweep
from Raglan to New Plymouth can’t be beat. Lonely winding roads skirt
natural harbours to convey a traveler from one interesting blacksand
beach to another. Side-trips to the famed Waitomo glowworm caves,
waterfalls, shipwrecks, sea stacks and arches are just more icing on
this many-layered cake. Did I mention the sunsets? Oh my. If you’ve
come to NZ for unspoiled natural beauty, make sure you check-out
the back-roads route (H4).
Blacksand. This coast is all about the black sands. These NZ-
famed “iron sands” originate from the coastal volcanoes that pepper
this stretch, especially Mt Taranaki. Around New Plymouth lavas
flowed down into the sea from Mt Taranaki. The current from the SW
constantly erodes the underwater lavas and washes the black sands
northwards. Thus, the closer the beach is to New Plymouth, the blacker
the sand. We’re talking jet-black, obsidian-black…All-black! And, if
the blackness isn’t interesting enough visually, just poke a magnet
into the sand and I’m sure you’ll have a neat surprise!
Up the west coast, especially north of Port Waikato, inland rivers
carry lighter-colored sand to the coast. Thus, once you get to the
Raglan area and farther north, the beaches become a mix of black/
yellow sand (creating neat patterns where water runs over the beach).
On the far NW coast, above Kaipara Harbour, there are no more
coastal volcanoes and the beaches become all-golden at Hokianga
Harbour. Neat!
Mt Taranaki. This is the North Island’s most majestic peak. At
2,518m it’s technically less lofty than 2,797m Mt Ruapehu, but since
Ruapehu rises off of a 500-700m plain, Taranaki’s rise from sea level is
much more dramatic. The region surrounding the mountain is superb,
with interest-spots circling the peak. How can you beat a near-perfect
conical volcano as a back-drop to wave-swept surf beaches? The only
trouble is that majestic Mt Taranaki often likes to hide its beauty under
a cloak of cloud cover—probably 50% of summer days.
Thus, for a great visit to the Taranaki area you’ve got to allot a few
days and leave your schedule a little flexible so that when the mountain
pops out of the clouds you are ready to zoom up its flanks to enjoy it.
When Taranaki is shrouded check-out some of the coastal attractions,
but when the mountain appears…GO! When dawn brings sunshine
and mountain views, quickquick get your ass in gear and get driving
H
up one of the three access roads. Morning light is best…and chances
are by mid-day the clouds might swirl back in. When Dutch explorer
Abel Tasman “discovered” the area in 1642 he didn’t even see the
mountain nor had a clue it was even there. Never take a clear view of
Taranaki for granted and say, “oh, I’ll take a picture later”…chances
are there will be no “later” and moody Taranaki will go AWOL again.

Don’t Miss:
Raglan’s backroads (H1-4) Whitecliffs Walkway (H12)
Waitomo/Te Anga (H8) Dawson Falls VisCtr (H18)
Tongaporutu (H11) Shipwrecks (H15, H19)
179
 H1 RAGLAN/BRIDAL VEIL FALLS
WORLD FAMOUS SURF TOWN

Google
Coords -37.799289 174.866443 OBSCUR-O-METER

Raglan is actually World Famous,

thanks to Bruce Brown’s 1966 surf
classic Endless Summer. In the movie
(near the end at minute 117) the boys
head to Raglan to hang ten on the
endless lefts. Today the surf break at
Manu Bay is way more crowded, but
the killer waves are still there and it’s an
excellent place to watch top-notch surfing. The town of Raglan itself is a
charmer. It’s funky, friendly, and eco-bent with charismatic cafes and fun
restaurants and pubs. Raglan is how you want a small town to be! Raglan
harbor is also a good place to kayak, swim, or kiteboard.
Bridal Veil Falls is one of the island’s prettiest waterfalls. The
stream spits over the lip of a 55m basalt escarpment into the middle
of a pool. Bridal Veil is the 55m Bridal Veil Falls
Raglan must-see, so expect
plenty company there. From
the carpark it’s an easy 10
minutes to two top-of-the-falls
viewpoints…but from there
it’s a steep longish stairway
down to the pool and its view
platform. For fun try this: stare
intensely at the falling water
for 30-60 seconds, without
looking away for a FULL 30-
60 seconds…then look over
Raglan/Taran.

at the basalt wall and…whoa,

watch it throb!!
Be warned…the carpark
has a history of break-ins, so
bring all valuables with you,
or at least hide everything out
of sight.

DRIVING: It takes 45-55 minutes to drive the twisty road from

Hamilton to Raglan.
For Bridal Veil, east of Raglan 7.7km (back towards Hamilton)
turn south onto Te Mata Rd (signed to falls). Head 13km then turn
left onto Kawhia Rd, then 4km more to the carpark.
180
 H2 MT KARIOI TRAMP
(Say: Karr-ee-oy)
rugged viewpoint track
Tramp: Difficult 60-90 mins. (3-4km) one-way to Lookout
• Elevation carpark: 220m
• Elevation lookout: 670m
Google
Coords -37.842943 174.773432 OBSCUR-O-METER

A steep, fun
tramping track scales
the steep flank of this Campground Raglan
ancient volcano. Get
it? Yup, double steep!
There are officially
Manu Bay
two tracks up, but the
“Mt. Karioi” track from
Te Toto is the best, so View from Mt. Karioi’s lookout
it’s the one I’ll describe here. This track is for fit, rugged folk, as the track
is often muddy and slippery as well as steep. Have I scared you off yet?
Mt Karioi is no place for either the weak or whiny. The weather changes
super-fast right here next to the ocean, so be prepared for anything even
if it looks bright and sunny (no real reason to go
though if it’s not sunny).
Karioi The viewpoints atop Karioi are stunning—all
Track of the octopus-like Raglan Harbour below, and
Chains on a good day Mt. Taranaki floating its pointy
peak out over the Tasman. This tramp is fun if
you’re fit, as it has plenty of Batman & Robin
stuff to manage—chains, ladders, muddy root
gullies, muddy hill-cut steps…you will be dirty
after this tramp. This is classic no-holds-barred
Kiwi tramping, not some domesticated “great walk”
type of groomed pathway. You will have a tale to
tell after a Mt Karioi outing…for better or worse…Hahahahaha.
Tramp From the Te Toto carpark it’s 60-90 minutes to the “lookout”
Raglan/Taran.

perch. This is not the true summit. The

true summit is another tough 45-minutes of
frustrating up/downs along a ridge (you can Now
see the actual summit trig from a clearing “Mt. Karioi”
near the signed Lookout Jct). The actual Track
lookout is just 5 minutes from the signed Jct.
I don’t think the view at the actual 757m
summit is worth the extra effort, but give it Mud
a go if you’re super gung-ho.
Canadian girls tramping

DRIVING: From Raglan head to, then past Manu Bay. At the
roundabout head left onto Whaanga Rd then 6km of gravel
twistiness to the Te Toto carpark.

181
 H3 RAGLAN/MT KARIOI/RUAPUKE/
BRIDAL VEIL LOOP
CLIFF-TOP VIEW-PACKED BACKROAD LOOP
Drive: The entire loop is 70km with a side-
trip to Bridal Veil Falls. 20km of 2WD
gravel included.
Google Ruapuke Beach:
Coords -37.891344 174.765167 OBSCUR-O-METER

Endless Tasman

Cliffs past Mt. Karioi

Raglan’s best-kept scenic secret is

probably the winding gravel road that
skirts Mt Karioi’s flanks to deliver you to
Ruapuke Beach (and beyond). The road
itself is a scenic smorgasbord, sporting
cliff-top views hundreds of kms up and
down the coastline, all backed by the
jagged crown of Mt Karioi’s bush-clad
peaks. Additionally, once past the Mt
Karioi tramping carpark, the route also
delivers you to Ruapuke Beach—the
Raglan/Taran.

nicest sand beach in the Raglan area. Ruapuke is a 3km stretch of perfect
black sand, popular with surfers on its north end where the road descends
directly to the waves. Farther along there’s also a southern access road
which delivers you to the more interesting end for beach explorers. From
this south end, if the tide is low, you can stroll around the headland rocks
to discover a secretive cove with a couple of fresh-water mini-waterfalls…
and then continuing south you can scramble
the far rocks to find an even more remote
stretch of beach.
From Raglan this route follows the
Whaanga Rd from Manu Bay to just past
Ruapuke Beach, then becoming Ruapuke Rd
back east towards Bridal Veil Falls. The road
is mostly gravel but it’s a well-maintained
182
 Approaching Ruapuke

2WD surface, manageable for

every vehicle except the largest
of motorhomes. Past Ruapuke
Beach the road becomes paved
again and continues to the Te
Mata junction (the road to Bridal
Veil Falls, just 2km before [north]
the Bridal Veil turn-off). Thus,
instead of an out/back excursion
to Bridal Veil that 95% of tourists
do, you can make a much longer
and adventurous and beautiful day
by linking the two routes into this
magnificent 70km loop.

Sunset waterfall
South Ruapuke

DRIVING: From Raglan head 7km to Manu Bay. Just past Manu
Raglan/Taran.

Bay, at a roundabout, go left onto Whaanga Rd. The next 6km

are the slowest and windingest on the route—be careful and
patient. In 6km you’ll arrive at the Te Toto Gorge carpark and view
platform—the starting point of the Mt Karioi tramp(H2) (13km total
from Raglan). Keeping on, you’ll weave between headlands and
bush for 9km to Ruapuke’s signed (sometimes not) access road
to the beach carpark and toilet (22km total).
Past this northern beach access, head another 4km, passing
the Ruapuke Motor Camp, to the signed access road for the
south end of Ruapuke beach (27km). Past Ruapuke south, it’s
only 2km more of gravel, then 9km of pavement to junction with
the Te Mata Rd (38km from Raglan). A left here goes 19km back
to Raglan, whereas a right heads 6km to Bridal Veil Falls. All
together the Round-Mt Karioi-Route, with a side-trip to Bridal
Veil Falls, is 70km.
183
 H4 RAGLAN-TO-AWAKINO BACKROADS
CAMPING ROUTE
WILD UNSPOILED BLACKSANDS WEST COAST
Difficulty: Slow driving
• Bring: gas, all supplies, food, and map.
Google Raglan: -37.824192 174.804029
Coords Awakino: -38.665193 174.647404 OBSCUR-O-METER

This is my favorite multi-day car-camping route on the entire island. I

almost don’t want to tell you about it…but I will. I christen it, “Rags to Riches:
the waterfall thermal sea cave lost coast discovery route.” (Tourism NZ,
if you want the name, send heaps of $ to NZFrenzy.co.nz.) Highlights of
this route are too numerous for this page…rugged west coast splendor,
premier surf breaks, sandstone cliff colors, warm water beach, limestone
wonders, waterfalls, blackest of blacksand, odd tunnels, sea stacks, sea
arches…all accentuated by storybook Tasman sunsets.
This route is 100km as the crow flies, but probably 300km as the car
drives (I’ve never actually odometer’d it). Don’t measure, but rather savor.
Start out in Raglan, circle Mt. Karioi, then begin the slow journey south.
SO many nooks to explore besides all the ones detailed in the NZ Frenzy
entries. Make sure you’ve got all your food and needs by Kawhia, because
going south there’s only beer and snacks until Mokau. The main route, the
Mangatoa Rd between Marokopa and Awakino, is a good road—mostly
paved with easy gravel sections.
Of course you’ll explore Te Anga Road’s wonders. Of course you’ll
make beach fires. Of course you’ll wiggle your toes into Kawhia’s warmth,
tunnel and shower at Waikawau, run wild on Taharoa. Of course you’ll love
this route if you’re an off-the-beaten-track adventurer.
Make sure you
REALLY stock-up on
food/beer/celebration
supplies in Raglan in
case you fall in love
with NZs wild unspoiled
west and decide to
Raglan/Taran.

stay an extra day or

two along the way.
Barely mentioned
in the popular tourist
guidebooks…this
route is the antidote
if you’re sick of the
Huka/Paihia/Rotorua/
Waitomo tourist
crowds.

184
 H5 KAWHIA/AOTEA BEACHES
(Say: Caw-fee-ah / Ow-tay-ah)

hot springs and black sands

• Bring:
Google
tide chart, spade
Coords
Kawhia Beach: -38.066213 174.779967
OBSCUR-O-METER
Aotea Beach: -38.010369 174.812172

Kawhia “hot
Hot pool area water” Beach. Hot
This is the
west coast’s
Tide comes in, answer to the
people leave
hyper-popular
Coromandel
phenomenon.
This beach is more of a local Kiwi experience
than an over-hyped tourist mecca. No tour
buses show up at Kawhia…and not many
people either. This beach percolates hot
Kawhia’s sand gully water, just like Hot Water Beach, but not
nearly in the quantity or temperature. Low-tide is mandatory. If no locals
are around then you’ll have to find the hot section for yourself, and it can be
a bit tricky. The hot area is just above the low-tide surf line…immediately
to the right if you walk straight down the Sand gully
sand gully toward the sea. The “hot” High tide line
stretches north from this imaginary line
for no more than 50m, so no use walking
all over the beach digging sample holes.
Aotea Beach. Want somewhere
interesting to visit while waiting for the
low tide? This beach is it, maybe. The
maybe is because the beach changes
every year, sometimes hiding its sculpted
sandstone formations. Walk towards the
Raglan/Taran.

harbour mouth and you may find yellow

sandstone walls and a garden of shapely
boulders and tide pools. Sometimes
they’re there, sometimes covered-up…
go see! Head around the point on a
rising tide and you’ll have a huge beach
to yourself for hours, all pesky ATVs
trapped on the harbour side by the tide. Aotea beach sandstone

DRIVING: Kawhia is an hour’s drive from SH39 (54km). For Aotea,

3km before (east) of Kawhia turn right at a sign and head 7km to
the western-most carpark.
For Kawhia Beach, in Kawhia town find the “Ocean Beaches”
sign and head 5km to the road-end carpark.
185
 H6 TAHAROA BEACH
OFF-THE-BEATEN-TRACK BLACKSAND BEACH/
SWIMMING COVE
Walk: Easy 45-min beach walk (2.5km)
one-way to north cove

Google
Coords -38.158683 174.699961 OBSCUR-O-METER

Taharoa Beach is about as

far off the beaten path as you
can get on the North Island’s
West Coast. Taharoa is a small
village most noteworthy as the
site of a major iron sands mining
Endless beach operation. Few people know that
to the south
the area hosts a nice sweeping
stretch of people-free black sand beckoning a long secluded walk. Heading
north on the beach you can walk about 2.5km to the beach-end cliffs (where
there is a bach). Why walk to this north end?? Hmmm…first because the
beach-end sandstone tidal-shelf sports some interesting rock formations…
and second, because of the hidden cove just past the tidal shelf. Yup,
a secret hidden blacksand-oasis sprinkly-waterfall swimming cove. Say
no more…go see for yourself…make sure to bring your favorite kind of
bathing suit!
Meanwhile, back at the sand-mining visitor overlook/sculpture/carpark
located at the beach turn-off….frustratingly you can’t see anything of the
sand mining operation (which is clear to see on Google Earth). But…if you
walk left from the carpark on the semi-cleared plowed track back through
the pine trees, in just a few minutes you’ll be able to see down into the
sand-mining pit. (Don’t tell them I told you, Ok?!)
Oh, one more
thing: you may see
Lake Taharoa on your
Kiwi/Hema map…but
there’s surprisingly
Raglan/Taran.

no access at all to
the lake. You can only
see it from the road.
Hidden cove at north end

DRIVING: On the Kawhia-to-Te Anga Rd (signed as Harbour Rd),

look for the signed junction to Taharoa about 9km north of Te
Anga Rd (south of Kawhia Harbour). At the obvious junction turn
west towards Taharoa. Head 9km to Taharoa village on the paved
road, then continue west from town onto gravel for 3.5km more to
the unsigned right turn down to the beach (just before the Visitor
Overlook sculpture...this turn might be signed towards a marae).
Turn and head 1km down and along beach road to obvious carpark
area at the stream crossing.
186
 H7 RUAKURI TUNNELS
(Say: Roo-ah curry)

FANTASTIC LIMESTONE MAZE

Walk: Moderate 45-minute loop

Google
Coords -38.265220 175.079406 OBSCUR-O-METER

A must-see! This walk is Waitomo’s most

interesting uncommercialized attraction.
It’s an intriguing path contouring through
a maze-like limestone wonderland…
caves, grottos, and tunnels interspersed between streams and waterfall
canyons. This is definitely one of NZ’s best short walks!! The
path does feature
a lot of staircases,
but all the steps are
all worth it. You’ll
Curving be wonderfully
stream confused which way
tunnel is which as the path
zigzags between
tunnels, bridges
and viewpoints…
following streams
that seem to flow
in circles. You’ll
feel lost, but you
can’t really be lost
because signs will always point you back to the carpark. A neat extra for
venturesome folks is to rock-hop
your way down to, and then into,
the curving stream tunnel to see the
stream’s hidden exit route as well
as some limestone stalactite stuff.
Raglan/Taran.

Make sure to take a photo of the

carpark map...to be sure to do both
loops of the figure-8 track.

Ruakari Cave
viewpoints

DRIVING: From Waitomo head 1km west, passing the cave tourism
mayhem, to the roundabout. Go left on Tumutumu Rd for 2.5km,
then right to the carpark signed for Aranui Cave. Map at carpark.
187
 H8 WEST FROM WAITOMO–
THE TE ANGA ROAD
ADVENTURE ROAD TO THE COAST
Three short easy walks

• Bring: torch, water shoes

Google
Coords -38.261408 174.899181 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Te Anga Rd heading

west from Waitomo to Marokopa
Beach may be the most
attraction-packed short road
on the island. Starting from
Waitomo’s half-million-tourists-
per-year mecca and heading
53km to the coast, you’ll pass
Walkway an amazing array of places to
through explore until reaching beautiful
Mangapohue
Kiritehere beach. Waitomo’s
Natural
Bridge crowds can boggle the mind…
but if you continue to drive west
the wild charms of New Zealand
will again caress your soul. No,
the whole country hasn’t sold
out to tour-bus tourism, it’s just
that the NZ Beaten Track gets
SO much publicity that it’s often
difficult to see past the hype
of places like Waitomo Caves. Thanks for buying my book…hope my
descriptions of places like Te Anga Rd are worth every penny you spent!
Here’s a rundown of the sign-posted wonders west of Waitomo (all
kms are distances from Waitomo):
Haggas Lookout. 10km (west of Waitomo). A roadside lookout with
signage pointing all the way to Tongariro.
Raglan/Taran.

Mangapohue Natural Bridge.

26km. Wow-Wow! A short loop
track leads over bridges and
suspended catwalks to a stunning limestone double archway, then looping
past bizarre oyster fossils. This is super-cool!
Piripiri Cave. 30km. This is a short stepped
walkway leading to a cave entrance where a
short DoC staircase will escort you down and
inside a huge cavern. Adventurous souls
can hop off the staircase to explore further
into the cavern to see an entire wall of fossilized oyster shells and one
floor-to-ceiling stalactite. Expect muddiness if you leave the view platform.
No light is necessary for just a brief look-see.
188
 Marokopa Falls. 32km. These
Inside
Piripiri 30m falls are one of the most
Cave picturesque on the island. They
face west, so photos are best
in the afternoon. A short easy
track leads to a view platform. A
slippery/muddy path leads down
to the misting base of the falls…
where if you scamper up close a
rainbow may encircle you with its
curving smile.
Marokopa/Kiritehere beaches.
50km. Marokopa is a sleepy bach
village with a campground and
a small dairy catering mostly to
fishermen. The beach here is non-
impressive.
Kiritehere Beach though,
signed a couple of kms before
Marokopa (then 6km of gravel over hill to the beach) is where you’ll want to
go. Blacksand bisected by a flowing stream…rocky outcrops and coves…
sand-bottomed wave zone perfect for body-surfing…plentiful firewood...
sunset ahhhhs. Kiwi bliss, mate! Look for the farm road/track heading
steeply up to the top of the headland above the carpark—the view up
there is awesome!

Marokopa
Falls
Viewpoint
Raglan/Taran.

189
 H9 WAIKAWAU TUNNEL BEACH
(Say: Why-kah-wow)

unique/historic sandstone tunnel to beach

• Bring: newspaper tide chart

Google
Coords -38.476676 174.639982 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waikawau beach is one of the remotest and

strangest beaches on the entire west coast.
It’s also gorgeous, so gorgeous in fact that
old-timers had to dig an 80m tunnel through the
sandstone cliffs just to get at it! Well, maybe
not…the tunnel was actually dug out in 1911
by three men with pick and shovel…all in order
to get sheep and wool onto boats in the cove.
Nowadays though, the Waikawau tunnel
and its low-tide-only beach are one of the best
kept secrets between Raglan and Awakino.
Walking through the sandstone tunnel you’ll
emerge onto a blacksand beach backed by
colorful bluffs. Like at Tongaporutu, at high tides the waves bash at these
bluffs, forming caves and tide pools and other goodies. To the north the
beach beckons…and it doesn’t disappoint. A 40-minute walk brings you
past sprinkling waterfalls, boulder gardens, then a nice stream area. Make
sure you leave time to get back on the rising tide—it bashes up to the cliffs!
If you arrive at high tide and there’s no beach yet outside the tunnel,
there’s still fun explorations to be had near the carpark in the stream or
over the dunes. If you are willing to muck through the steam next to the
carpark…over there you’ll find a nice long stretch of lonely gorgeous
beach—it’s worth the effort!
Raglan/Taran.

Waterfall
shower

Tunnel

Huge face
carved on beach cliff Looking south on Waikawau Beach

DRIVING: The signed turn to Waikawau Beach is 26km south of

Kiritehere Beach or 30km north of the Awakino junction with SH3.
Head 4.5km down gravel Waikawau Rd to the road-end tunnel
carpark.

190
 H10 AWAKINO HEADS/MOKAU
BLACKSAND BEACHES
• Bring: magnet
Google Awakino: -38.665844 174.619795
Coords Mokau: -38.694758 174.616518 OBSCUR-O-METER

No publicity, no
tourists, no worries.
Waterfall These two sleepy bach
communities are mostly
peopled by weekend/
holiday fishermen.
You might like these
beaches if you’re the
in-no-hurry sort of
Awakino Beach travelers who don’t
need a lot of rah-rah brochures to know a peaceful beach when you see
it. I love Mokau and Awakino. Here’s why: both these villages bookend a
long and scenic stretch of jet-blackblackblack sand, liberally sprinkled with
all sorts of contorted and bleached driftwood. Sand can’t be more black
than this—if the All Blacks had a beach, this would be it! Let’s see, there’re
also some yellow sandstone bluffs…maybe some sea caves…maybe a
beach waterfall. On a clear day Mt. Taranaki shines over the whole deal…
very nice. Photographers will love the contrasts in color and the shapely
driftwood. Try a magnet in the sand—it’s as if the sand is 100% iron!
Awakino Heads: Just south of the roadside tavern (where SH3 meets the
coast) a short loop road visits a cove and a headlands viewpoint before
re-joining the highway. At the unsigned viewpoint corner you’ll find an ATV
track down to the beach. Take a short walk to the south and you’ll find a
waterfall spilling onto the sands. Nice!
Mokau: Explore the harbour mouth some, but the best beach access is
the somewhat hidden road on the north side of town which delivers you
Raglan/Taran.

right down to the sand. Very few west coast beaches let you open your
door directly onto the sands without actually driving on the beach. To find
the hidden road…
on SH3 on the
north side of town
look for Rangi Rd,
turn and go to its
end, then down
the steep angling
dirt road to the
beach (walk it first Carpark
if your car isn’t too
rugged).
Mokau Beach access
191
 H11 TONGAPORUTU
(Say: Tonga-poor-ooh-too)

adjective overload!!!!!

• Bring: newspaper tide chart, water shoes

Google
Coords -38.817068 174.591154 OBSCUR-O-METER

Tongaporutu is a little-known dot on the north Taranaki map. It shouldn’t

be “little-known”, but nobody promotes it because there’re no commercial
businesses nearby. Tongaporutu is captivating, it’s breathtaking, it’s run-
on-the-beach-laughing-cuz-it’s-so-gorgeous…it’s undoubtedly one of my
favorite spots on the North Island!

High Tide Wave- Mt. Taranaki

watch viewpoint White Cliffs

Elephant
Rock Three Sisters

Tongaporutu River mouth

Words fail me trying to encapsulate the charms. What if you plunked

Arches Nat’l Park onto a blacksand beach with Mt. Fuji in the distance…
and only let people walk onto it a few hours at a time before the tide
sweeps them and their footprints away, polishing the ebony sands for the
next visitors.
The secret charms of Tongaporutu grace the cover of this guide. When
these spheres are “out” this beach is an embarrassment of beauties…
Moeraki and its boulders don’t even hold a candle to Tongaporutu’s beauty.
Raglan/Taran.

But…Mother Nature
moves in mysterious
ways here on the
blacksand west coast.
A river of sand moves
with the tides, and
storm activity dictates
whether these boulders
are “above sand” or not.
Personally, I’ve never

Tongaporutu’s north beach

192
seen another photo of them…but South of
then few people know that the stuff 3 Sisters
on the north side of the river may be
even better than the “3 Sisters” stuff
on the south side. Now you know.
Here’s what you do at Tonga-
porutu: at low-tide splash knee-
deep from the carpark out the river
mouth and through the first sea-cave
tunnel to view the “Two Sisters” (the
third fell down just when they put
up the sign a decade ago). Whoa…
to the south you’ll find caves and
tunnels and sea stacks and waterfalls
and arches and Whitecliffs and
maybe a Taranaki—an orgy of beauty! The farther you go the better it
gets, but beware the incoming tide. Retreat back to the carpark as the
tide rises. Don’t leave though. Wait. Eat, drink, be merry, maybe walk a bit
of the Whitecliffs walkway…but wait. Because, when the tide is full in, and
you’re sitting atop the cliffs (above and south of the river mouth)…the waves
literally THUNDER against the sculpted cliffs, shuddering the ground and
sending spray 30m high. Quite a sight! Here’s where to go at high tide:
from the carpark drive up the road farther to the locked Whitecliffs Walkway
gate. Park and walk about 15 minutes (1km) through two gullies and look
along the right-side fence for a metal gate with a rusting plow next to it
(one gully before the next road-blocking gate). You need to walk through
this paddock gate and head over to the far cliff-edge where you’ll find a
boulder dedicated to MacKenzie and stile-steps over the fence. Whoa…if
the tide is up and the waves are crashing…whoa, you’ll hold onto the ground
as the spraying waves literally quake the ground with cataclysmic force!
Someday Tourism NZ may get wind of Tongaporutu…but not yet. No
zip-line, no zorb, no jet-boat blacksand arch surfari. Just you and a smile…
and maybe a warmish tide pool to lounge in around the base of a sphere.
FYI For bonus
access to the north
3 Sisters side of the Tonga-
Raglan/Taran.

porutu River and its

solitude, splendor,
and possible beach
spheres…drive 3km
High Tide!
north of Tongapor-
utu to the Rapanui
Stream carpark and
then walk south.
MacKenzie’s Bluff Viewpoint

DRIVING: On SH3, 16km south of Mokau, there’s a sign for the “3

Sisters” on the south side of the Tongaporutu River bridge. Turn
here and pass the baches to the carpark before the hill. This road
continues to walkway and high-tide bluff.
193
 H12 WHITECLIFFS WALKWAY LOOP
EXQUISITE BEACH AND HEADLANDS LOOP TRACK
Walk: Moderate 2-hour, 7km loop

• Bring: newspaper tide chart

Google
Coords -38.893142 174.517067 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Whitecliffs Walkway is a brilliant loop track taking in sweeping

headland views before looping you back along the low-tide beach
underneath the namesake sky-scraping white cliffs. Timing the tide
is essential here, because the high tide does smash up to the cliffs
themselves, thus preventing any beach-walking access. There’s no “dry
sand” at all on Whitecliffs beach.

White
Cliffs

Carpark

Beach waterfall
Raglan/Taran.

The famed part of this loop route is, of course, the walk along the black
sands underneath the picturesque white cliffs, and sure ’nuff, this beach
delivers scenic beauty in spades! Not only soaring cliffs, but also a couple
of archways and a couple of cascading waterfalls. The final waterfall is the
best, just 600m before the loop’s end—if it’s hot and sunny and nobody’s
around…surely you’ll shirk off the sweaty clothes for a dip in the sea
followed by a nice waterfall rinse before completing the loop. Ooh-la-la!
The upper portion of the loop is a bit of a trudge in 100% open sunshine
up a road then through grassy paddocks, but it does sport dazzling views
to the south before dropping you down an endless stairway to meet the
bush-clad Waipingau Stream. A track along the stream then escorts you
to the beach.

194
 As an option, you
could visit Whitecliffs
beach simply for a
sweet beach walk if
you aren’t wanting
a sweaty climb over
the headlands, or if
your low-tide-timing
is off. The 2.5km one-
way walk towards
the large Waipingau
Stream is a delightful
beach walk in and
of itself. Most all this
Coastal view from track beach is passable at
least up to half-tide,
at least to the “pinch point”. Even with the tide rising, you could easily
make it to the 1st/2nd waterfalls (1km) to see some of the dramatic cliffs
and headlands.
Walk The loop route is best going counter-clockwise—up the road
and paddocks first, then along the beach to finish. But, tide timing is
everything here. The beach portion of the walk is only manageable two
hours each side of low-tide. It’d be best to begin the loop (up the headlands
road) on a falling tide, but if you are fit and fast, then you could begin at low
tide and hike quickly. The tidal “pinch-point” on the beach is immediately
south of Waipingau Stream, so once you’ve passed that jutting-out section
of the cliffs, then you’re “home free” down the rest of the beach.
For a fit walker the marked route up the road and headlands is about
45 minutes (2.5km) to the peak of Mt Davidson. Then the route descends
a long 1km stairway to meet the Waipingau Stream. Turn left at the
swingbridge here for an easy 1km jaunt to
Sea
the coast. For a fit walker, you could be at the caves
beach in 80 minutes via this upper portion of the
loop (hopefully that helps you time the route).
To navigate past the “pinch point” you better
be within two hours of low tide!! Once on the
Raglan/Taran.

beach it’s 2.5km back to the car.

The route can be done beach first—
clockwise—but this leaves the climb and the
paddocks/road as the finale…and this isn’t as
nice as the counter-clockwise direction.

DRIVING: The access road for the walkway is clearly signed on

SH 3 about 4km north of the village of Urenui. Turn and follow
the road 11km until you descend towards the beach and come to
a 4-way intersection at the beach access rampway, marked with
DoC signage. Park along the roadside here. The headlands bit
of the track begins up the steep paved road.

195
 H13 OMARU FALLS
(Say: Ooo-moo-roo) Just kidding!

easy bush track to magnificent waterfall

Walk: Easy 25-min (1.8km) one-way to falls

• Bring: water shoes

Google
Coords -38.522389 175.169714 OBSCUR-O-METER

A cruisy-easy bush path leads

to an overlook of the magnificent
40m Omaru Falls. This is total off-
the-beaten-track territory. The walk
itself is a pleasure, traipsing through
an island of lush bush amidst a sea
of surrounding pasture lands. The
track follows alongside the stream
the entire way, so your ears will be
treated to the gurgle of the stream as
well as a surprising cacophony of birdsong. Birds seem to thrive in this
little island of bush—Nice!! So, along the stream you go, then across a
swingy swingbridge and soon to the first 1-meter drop on the stream, which
signals the stream’s hurrying effort to hurtle off the upcoming precipice.
In a few hundred meters more you’ll ascend some steps to the track-end
viewpoint for a full view of cascading Omaru Falls.
Raglan/Taran.

Swingbridge
196
 Crazy?

Carvings at
After some views and pix, you may
viewpoint
want to retreat back to the 1-meter falls
for a quick dip. In summers, when there
hasn’t been rain in awhile (yeah, right)…
it’s quite easy to walk along the hard-rock
streambed above the falls. Some folks
might think it a fun challenge to walk in
the stream towards the falls. Of course
Raglan/Taran.

you wouldn’t do this if the stream were

brown and murky. Don’t even look close
at the photo here to see if you can see
some loony author standing at the lip of
the falls. Don’t even look on the website
for other photos.

DRIVING: Omaru Rd is signed on SH4 between Eight-Mile Junction

and Taumarunui. The road is 50km north of Taumarunui, or
20km south of the SH3/SH4 junction (5km past Aratoro Scenic
Reserve). The road has a little yellow “Omaru Falls” sign pointer,
but otherwise it could be easy to miss. Set your odometer at either
junction. The signed carpark is then 500m up Omaru Rd.

197
 H14 PARITUTU ROCK AND BACK BAY
NEW PLYMOUTH'S ICONIC LANDMARK
Tramp: Challenging 10-20 min grapple 1-way
• Elevation carpark: 55m
• Elevation Top: 135m
Google
Coords -39.059703 174.025339 OBSCUR-O-METER

Paritutu Rock is the monolithic volcanic spire that rises 153 meters directly
above New Plymouth’s western shoreline. The Rock and surrounding
Sugarloaf Islands are definitely the most dramatic features of the entire
Taranaki coastline. The view from atop Paritutu is indeed sweeping. You’ll
see all of New Plymouth, the curve of the Back Bay coast, and, clouds
permitting, a face full of Mt Taranaki.
Of course there’s a
Paritutu track up to Paritutu’s trig-
Track
adorned top, and what an
Sugarloaf adventurous track it is!
Islands This track doesn’t mess
around with niceties like
switchbacks, oh no…steep
steps begin the straight-up
ascent, and just when you
are huffing and puffing, then
Back Bay
the fun begins. The second
half of the ascent is via a hyper-steep rocky gully that has chains anchored
the entire way to help you pull yourself up with (this is the route the Maoris
established to their rock-top pa fortress). Don’t carry anything in your hands
cuz you’ll definitely want both hands free for the rappel-like descent. That
said…for an athlete the entire climb only takes like 10-15 minutes.
Back Bay is the stretch of low-tide beach that extends southwards from
Paritutu Rock. This gorgeous surf beach is super-close to town, but few
visitors ever figure out that it’s back there. At any time except high tide
you can access the scenic stretch of
beach—either from the carpark just
Raglan/Taran.

south of Paritutu, or 1km down the

Beach Rd where a road leads down to
a beach carpark. The charms of Back
Bay are its sandstone cliffs, the views of
waves swirling around the Sugarloafs…
and its sunsets. Yes, this is the New
Plymouth sunset spot! Looking over New Plymouth

DRIVING: Paritutu’s carpark is only about 4km from mid-town NP.

The best, least confusing way to get to it is by heading out of NP
southward on SH45, and just as you leave the homes for pasture
land, take a right onto Beach Rd, signed to Centennial Park. This
road tours along the scenic Back Bay beach cliffs with Paritutu
looming ahead. The signed carpark is at the base of the rock.
198
 H15 WRECK OF THE GAIRLOCH
ONE OF THE MOST VISIBLE nz SHIPWRECKS
Walk: Short shoreline walk, best at low-tide

Google
Coords -39.119403 173.922625 OBSCUR-O-METER

The visible remains

Mt. Taranaki of the 1903 shipwreck of
the S.S. Gairloch adorn
the tidal beach at Timaru
Point, just south of
Oakura. This shipwreck
is definitely NZ’s most
scenic wreck. The
rusted bow of the ship,
still with some original
wooden decking, tilts
up 5m into the air from
Bow of the Gairloch
a bed of cobbled rocks.
At low-tide you can easily scramble over the rounded rocks to get to the
remains. A couple of boilers rest in the waves a couple hundred meters out
past the bow. Where else are you gonna see a shipwreck framed against
a show-capped volcano?? Sunset 1903 shipwreck
photos with the skeletal wreck in the
foreground are in many a Taranaki
photographer’s portfolio.
Surprisingly the Taranaki
District has only recently touted the
wreck as a scenic attraction, finally
including a photo of it in their “Like No Other” color brochure. Details of
the shipwreck and a photo are on my website, but here’s a brief overview:
The Gairloch ran aground on Timaru Reef on the dark stormy night of Jan.
5th, 1903. The steamer had no passengers but was loaded mainly with
Raglan/Taran.

Kauri timber and sacks of sugar.

No life was lost in the wreck and
Gairloch the captain and crew rowed
boilers their lifeboat seven miles to
New Plymouth’s Paritutu Rock
breakwater in the morning.
FYI Another nearby ship-
wreck is H19.

DRIVING: The wreck lies just SW of the end of the Weld Rd road-
end carpark, visible in the distance from the carpark. Weld Rd is
signed on SH45 5km south of Oakura, about 20km south of New
Plymouth. Turn down Weld Rd for 4km to its road-end carpark.

199
 H16 TARANAKI SURF HIGHWAY
LIGHTHOUSE AND BEACHES
Difficulty: Actually seeing Mt. Taranaki

Google
Coords -39.284439 173.806518 OBSCUR-O-METER

Cape The “Surf Highway” that

Mt. Taranaki Egmont tours the coast on the west
side of Mt.Taranaki is a bit of a
misnomer. From the highway
you never see a bit of surf
since the highway stays a few
km inland the entire route. But,
between the towns of Oakura
and Opunake there are plenty
of side roads that head out to
completely uncommercialized
Campervan photo-op
road-end surf and camp spots,
including the popular 5km trip out to Cape Egmont and its lighthouse.
When the weather is good the Surf Highway rocks, but when it’s cloudy
and windy and Taranaki’s gone…ugh, bleak. Here’s a rundown of some
highlights.
u Oakura is a prime spot for both surfers and windsurfers and it has a
“surf-town” sort of feel.
u Lucy’s Gully is 3km south of Oakura, signed at Ahu Ahu Rd. Turning
towards Mt. Taranaki you’ll quickly ascend into a monster grove of California
redwood trees—super impressive! A super-steep trampers track heads
up to a trig, but honestly, I wouldn’t hike it again.
u Stent Road, 23km south of Oakura or 5km north of lighthouse, is a
primo surf break.
u Cape Egmont Lighthouse is 28km south of Oakura, 5km west on the
signed road at Pungarehu. Just past the lighthouse you can get the killer
photo-op with Taranaki.
Raglan/Taran.

u Kina beach is the road signed 11km south of the lighthouse road or 9km
north of Opunake (at Oaonui). It’s the best windsurfing/kite surfing beach
since Oakura. Unlike the other
road-ends, Kina is sandy
and has tons of driftwood for
fires…but is also pretty windy.
u Opunake is the Surf
Highway’s truest surf town.
Surf shops, surf cafés, beach,
campground, lifeguards…the
whole bit.
u South of Opunake the surf
highway turns into the dull
Dairy-cow highway. Lucy’s Gully Redwoods

200
 H17 EGMONT BRANCH RAILWAY LOOP
–YORK ROAD
HISTORIC RAILWAY/QUARRYING SITE
Difficulty: Easy-moderate 2-hour (6km) loop,
little elevation gain

Google
Coords -39.288336 174.175428 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Egmont
Branch Railway loop
track explores the
historic remnants of
a railway line which
accessed rock
quarries for pioneer
Taranaki road-
building materials.
This lowland loop
track is a fabulous
way to spend a
couple of hours on a
cloudy/drizzly day—
Ruins no views of Taranaki
or anything remarkable…just interesting historic interpretation courtesy
of DoC.
This area is a little like DoC’s more famed Karangahake Gorge (E1),
but on a smaller scale. Like at Karangahake Gorge, DoC has once again
outdone itself bringing a former industrial site to life with an interesting track
touring numerous remnants and ruins, with the usual brilliant collection of
historic plaques to enliven the walk. What you’ll learn along this Egmont
Branch Railway is the toil and hardship that was expended in the early
1900’s simply to get road-building/jetty materials for the growing prosperity
on Taranaki’s ring plain. It is truly amazing the pick-and-shovel hardship
that went into this endeavor. Along the
loop you’ll discover cement ruins of a
Raglan/Taran.

crusher, extensive water raceways,

bush-claimed railway tracks, and an
amazing hand-hewn railway canyon.
To sum it up…if it’s cloudy and
you’re trying to “kill a day” waiting for
Mt Taranaki to show itself…this is an
interesting way to spend a couple of
hours amidst thick lowland bush.

DRIVING: The trailhead is at the end of York Rd. York Rd is signed

off SH3 7km north of Stratford, but only marked with a tiny road
sign—it’s easy to miss on the speedy highway. Look for York
Rd just north of Midhirst, or 15km south of Inglewood. Once on
York Rd it’s 7km to the road-end carpark.
201
 H18 EGMONT NATIONAL PARK
NZ'S MT. FUJI
Easy walks to multi-day tramps
Google
Coords
North Egmont: -39.270196 174.095899
The Plateau: -39.307799 174.099630
Dawson: -39.323837 174.103899 OBSCUR-O-METER

Egmont National
Park is contained
within the strange
circular boundary
you see on every
Taranaki map—the
“ring plain”. The
ring, besides being
the legal border of
the park, is actually
a definitive border
The road to North Egmont
between forest and
field. Virtually every acre outside the ring is pasture or crop land and every
acre inside is forest. The plains encircling Mt. Taranaki are some of NZ’s
most productive agricultural lands thanks to the volcano’s nutrient-rich ash.
There are three main ways to visit the National Park, each road-end
with its own charms.
North Egmont Visitor Center. This is the fastest access from New
Plymouth and at its 952m carpark there’s a café and info center. This is
the start of the popular, yet dangerous, track to the summit. Don’t even
think about attempting this summit without prior knowledge of conditions,
gear, supplies, and brains. Mt Taranaki, while looking harmless and inviting
in the sunshine, will turn on you quicker than a pit bull near a baby! On a
lighter note, there are short walking tracks thru goblin forest and a good
day-walk looping together the Summit track and the Holly Hut track (3 hours
total, 500m climb to Tahurangi Lodge then over to Holly Hut/Razorback
Raglan/Taran.

ridge. Go clockwise.) This track sports good views of Tongariro’s peaks,

New Plymouth, and the coast north to the White Cliffs.
East Egmont. Access is from Stratford up Pembroke Rd. This is the road
up to the Manganui snow fields, but during summer there’s nothing going on

Mt. Ngauruhoe Mt. Ruapehu

(2291m) (2797m)

“Plateau” carpark
202
up here except views and tracks. The
road ends at the highest drivable point
on Mt. Taranaki—the 1172m “Plateau”.
This road-end is the least touristy of
the Egmont access points. There are
no short, easy touristy tracks here, but
you can do my favorite loop in the park
from here as well as from Dawson…
see Dawson for deets.
Dawson Falls Visitor Center. At
902m, this road-end features a
namesake 18m waterfall and the Dawson
greatest variety of track options. Map Falls
at VisCtr. Short scenic loop tracks visit
the waterfall, Wilkies Waterfall pools,
a high swing bridge, and the “goblin”
forest. The “goblin” forest at Dawson is
surreal—gnarled trees surround you with moss-draped twisting branches
while roots criss-cross the path
in their attempt to trip you up.
Very different from all the other
lowland NZ bush.
A good medium length walk
is to loop together Wilkies, the
Ridge, and Kapuni/Dawson
Falls—it’s 2 hours of streams,
goblins, views, and waterfalls.
Better yet is my favorite loop
Goblin Forest tramp in the entire National Park.
It’s a 3-hour loop connecting Wilkies Pools, East Egmont’s “Plateau,”
the Enchanted track, and the Waingongoro
Gorge swing bridge track. This difficult
tramping loop packs it all in! Go clockwise…
up to Wilkies Pools then an hour climb up
to the Plateau carpark viewpoint (passing
the Enchanted track for now). After a view
Raglan/Taran.

and a snack, backtrack to Enchanted and

head down its mile o’ steps. Turn right at the
Waingongoro track, up and down thru some
streams, then across Egmont’s highest swing
bridge. Detour 5 minutes to see the hut, then
another 45 minutes of tiring up and down
back to Dawson.
Dawson’s Waingongoro
swing bridge

DRIVING: All three access roads are well-signed, well made, and
easy to find. North access is from Egmont Village, East access
is from Stratford, and Dawson access is Manaia Rd off Eltham
Rd in Kaponga.

203
 H19 PATEA SHIPWRECK AND LOOKOUT
GOOD STUFF!
Walk: Historic breakwater is neat.

Google
Coords -39.772291 174.488886 OBSCUR-O-METER

Few, if any, travel guides advise you to make a stop in Patea…but I will.
Patea has an only-seconds-from-the-highway drive-up ocean lookout
point that’s the best anywhere between Whanganui and New Plymouth.
From the lookout you can also scamper down the steep black dunes for a
short walk under the vertical cliffs that tower over this stretch of polished
black sands.
1923 SS Waitangi shipwreck

The shipwreck of the SS Waitangi, marooned on this beach way

back in 1923, may decorate the black sands just a stone’s throw from the
breakwater carpark. I say “may decorate” because the black sands along
the Taranaki coast move at their own volition and this wreck likes to play
hide ‘n’ seek. Amazingly, the wreck had been almost completely covered
over by sand for years, then whammo, one big storm in January 2011 and
here she is again sticking her rusty hulk outta the black sands just meters
from the breakwater. Lucky us!! If a half-buried rusting hulk doesn’t sound
that “wow”…then know that this wreck, when visible, is undoubtedly one
of the most-visible authentic shipwrecks anywhere in NZ! (The Gairloch
(H15), though scenic, isn’t too much there. See also A11). Please check
Raglan/Taran.

my website for links to a newspaper article about the wreck, some historic
pix and info, and more pix from Jan 2012.
Thus, there’s good reason to stop in Patea Breakwater
at Patea. If you’re curious for a lil more…
then there’s a historic riverwalk with
neat interpretive signs heading upriver
from the beach breakwater…and, the
community golf course has cliff-top ocean
views to die for, for only about $10 for
18 holes.
Rusting hulk

DRIVING: Patea is 28km south of Hawera, or 15km north of

Waverley. Highway signs point to the beach/lookout.

204
 H20 WAVERLEY BEACH
SEA CAVES AND ARCHES
Easy beach walks
• Bring: newspaper tide chart
• Note: arch collapsed 6/2012!
Google
Coords -39.833686 174.636935 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waverley Beach is pretty far off the

beaten track, but in the past few years
Taranaki Tourism has started to promote
its coastal charms. What this beach has is
a fabulously scenic sea-arch and a bunch
of other neat coves, caves and features
to explore. Oft times the arch is shown
in Taranaki tourism brochures, but the
literature rarely mentions where exactly
this arch is located.
Oops, the Waverley Arch
collapsed. Check blog for
2013 pix and deets.
Waverley Beach is a polished blacksand
beach backed by sheer grey/ orange
cliffs—sort of like a mini Tongaporutu
(H11). The arch is located at the SE end
of the beach with a road-end dirt overlook
above it. Hurry and visit the arch, as every
year it erodes a little more and soon some
massive storm may finish-off its inevitable
collapse! (Oops, you missed it!)
Most of the beach disappears at high
tide, but that’s when the waves bash the
cliffs for a marvelous show of spray. Once the tide’s out, then exploring is
in. To the south from the arch overlook is a long cliff band studded with a
series of deep sea caves, some caves sporting skylight holes. The north
Raglan/Taran.

side of the beach is driftwood-a-rama

with some puzzling wave-bashed sand-
sunken tree stumps. Historians declare
that Mt. Taranaki entombed these
stumps under heaps of ash clay from
not-so-ancient eruptions…and now
the receding shoreline has eroded the
Waverley cliffs to re-reveal the stumps
(Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth
has a display detailing this “lost forest”).

DRIVING: Waverley is about 16km south of Patea on SH3. Turn

onto Waverley Beach Rd and go 10km, left at the end, to the
road-end arch cove (tucked behind a primitive camping ground).
205
 East Cape/Hawkes Bay
I

I1 Kohi Point Loop Trk I 10 Mahia Peninsula

I2 Maraehako Bay I 11 Te Reinga Falls
I3 Hicks Bay Wharf & Waterfall I 12 Urewera National Park
I4 East Cape Road I 13 Whirinaki Loop Trk
I5 Tokomaru Ghost Town I 14 Tarawera Hot Springs
I6 Tolaga Bay I 15 Shine Falls
I7 Derelict Tuahine Point Lighthouse I 16 Te Mata Peak
I8 Rere Falls I 17 Havelock Waterfall Tour
I9 Rere Rockslide
206
EAST CAPE/HAWKES BAY REGION
The East Cape is the north island’s forgotten corner…and it
seems to prefer things that way. There’s no tourism rah-rah, there’s
no “world-famous” hype. There’s no tour buses, no i-Sites. Visiting
the East Cape takes time—the one road is slow and uncrowded,
the pace is slow. The people are real Kiwis, often of Maori descent.
For travelers on a limited time budget, I don’t recommend an East
Cape Loop. I think most travelers should concentrate their limited
time on the more wonder-filled regions of the island. If you are
one of the few travelers who have months to spend in NZ, then the
East Cape route might prove to be a nice few-days respite from the
summertime tourism of the B.O.P./Rotorua/Taupo areas.
Gisborne is a fantastic city of about 30,000 people with a grow-
ing reputation as a nice sunny place to live, work, play, and maybe
raise a family. Surfing is legendary around Gisborne.

Hawkes Bay. This area has two main calling cards—the city
of Napier and Urewera National Park. Napier is a small city with
seemingly large aspirations…a city on the move, a city with a plan.
Napier advertises itself to the world in a way that Gisborne doesn’t.
Napier wants you to come see its art-deco, come visit via a cruise
ship…come to golf, dine, tour wineries. Think “cosmopolitan city”,
but in a small-town fashion. If you’ve come to NZ to experience
some “finer things”, then Napier will hold your interest. If you’ve
come to NZ to experience natural outdoorsy experiences, then
I think Napier lacks compared to the other outdoorsy NZ towns.
Urewera Nat’l Park is notable for its Great Walk that contours
around the back-side half of vast Lake Waikaremoana. Whether
the walk is that great or not is arguable. What isn’t arguable is
that the park hosts an array of under-appreciated assets such as
smaller lakes and waterfalls. Lakeside camping is sweet and cheap,
especially at the Mokau Falls DoC site!

Don’t Miss:
Kohi Pt Loop (I 1)
East Cape Lighthouse drive (I 4)
Tolaga Bay (I 6)

I
Rere Rockslide/Falls (I 8-I 9)
Naked at Shine Falls (I 15)

207
 I1 KOHI POINT LOOP TRACK
BRILLIANT BEACH 'N' HEADLAndS LOOP
Walk: Mod/diff 2.5-3 hour loop (11km)
• Elevation trailhead: 10m to 183m
• Map on blog
• Bring: Whakatane tide chart
Google
Coords -37.955086 177.009072 OBSCUR-O-METER

Toi’s Pa Whakatane’s Kohi Pt Walkway is arguably

the best walking track in the Bay of Plenty, but
indisputably the best loop track. Superlatives abound
on this little-touristed track (though locals love it).
This walk tours the headlands ridge that separates
Whakatane’s waterfront from Ohope Beach…with
plenty of stopping-point views the entire way. After
reaching Kohi Pt and taking in its excellent Pacific
vista of steaming White Island (the closest you can
get to White Island for free), the track then descends
to Otarawairere Beach for a quick beach and rock-
hopping section before steeply climbing away from the beach up through
the bush again towards the upper Pa viewpoints.
Puzzlingly this walk is considered a one-way walk by the Walkway
route-planners (8km Whakatane to Ohope Beach)…but this then requires
you take a bus from Ohope back to Whakatane. Much easier is to simply
make a loop by using the scenic gravel road up to Toi’s Pa, and thus not
needing to deal with a bus shuttle.
One special note is that the short section of the track which goes along
Otarawairere Beach is only accessible at 2/3 tide or lower—no access 2
hours either side of high tide.

Whale Island

Harbour mouth statue

East Cape

208
 Views over East Cape

Kohi Point

Walk You need to know when high tide is to plan your walk: if the
tide is falling or low, then the best route is clockwise from Whakatane. But
if the tide is rising, it may be best to begin by parking amongst the hillside
homes of Ohope and going counter-clock, doing the Otarawairere Beach
section first.
From Whakatane Strand, at the huge rock, begin up the “Vertigraph”
steps. At the top continue up the sidewalk 150m then turn left at the parking
spaces and go up that sidewalk another 150m until you see the track map/
sign. In 10 minutes you’ll pass the Toi’s Pa jct which will be your return
route on this loop. Keep straight for an up/down 3km to Kohi Pt , then turn
the corner and descend 3km to Otarawairere Beach. Walk along the beach
about 10 minutes and when you have to step across a tiny creek, listen
in the bush behind, then go scout for the beach’s hidden namesake 7m
waterfall. Just a minute past the falls you’ll need to leave the beach for
the marked route upwards through the bush to the road above (the official
walkway continues along the beach here to up/down the far headland to
deliver you to Ohope Beach’s motel row).
For this loop, just past the beach waterfall, climb the steep hill 10
minutes to the Otarawairere Road homes, head up the road 350 meters
to the signed junction for Kohi
Pt, turn right and walk up the
scenic road for 2.5km to the
road-end Toi’s pa viewpoint.
To finish the loop walk through
the grass to the far end of the
pa clearing to pick up the track
which quickly descends back to
the walkway jct you passed at
East Cape

the beginning of the loop. Go

left and retrace your steps back
Steps onto Otarawairere down to Whakatane.

DRIVING: The trailhead/vertigraph stairs is on the main street

through Whakatane, with no designated carpark—just park
somewhere in town and walk. The stairs begin behind the town-
center park with the Pohaturoa rock archway in it.

209
 I2 MARAEHAKO BAY
(Say: Marr-eye hah-ko)

gorgeous camping bay with a secret

Camping: about $12 per person
Google
Coords
Camp: -37.673084 177.803519
Waterfall: -37.683469 177.789079 OBSCUR-O-METER

Kayak

Maraehako Campground

Maraehako Bay is a gorgeous cove occupied by a Maori-owned

commercial campground. Thus, no day-use at all, just access for campers.
This blessed cove seems to have a little of everything, plus a lot more. If
you’ve got a kayak or paddleboard, then you’ll love the “secret passages”
leading between the rocks to each neighboring cove, enabling numerous
figure-8-route paddling options. These rocky coves are super neat—nooks
and crannies galore!
Let’s see, then there’s a small river swimming hole at the campground
for a freshwater rinse or just to keep the kids happy. There are also the
plentiful fire pits all around the camp and beach—the campground owners
actually encourage campfires, so remember to collect some wood before
you get there. There you have it. Maraehako
Whanarua Bay is definitely my favorite campground on
Falls the entire East Cape.
Oh, did I forget to tell you about the “local
secret” waterfall? Whanarua Falls is the
East Cape’s most secretive waterfall, yet the
locals seem to tell everyone about it. About
2km west of Maraehako the highway crosses
the signed Whanarua Stream bridge. See
East Cape

the roadside carpark? Yup. Park, put on the

swimsuit and watershoes and look for the
rough 15-minute rock-hop stream-splash
path heading upstream. Not a biggie, but still
a hidden beauty!

DRIVING: The signed campground is about 17km east of Te Kaha,

just past (east) of the famed Macadamia place.
From the east Maraehako is about 18km west of Waihau Bay.
210
 I3 HICKS BAY WHARF & WATERFALL
HISTORIC DERELICT WHARF AND NEARBY TALL
wATERFALL
Walk: Easy 15-minute one-way to falls
• Historic photos on website
Google Wharf: -37.568868 178.300576
Coords
Waterfall: -37.598434 178.281848 OBSCUR-O-METER

Hicks Bay and its 1920s

derelict wharf inhabit the nearly-
forgotten corner of the rarely-
travelled East Cape. Be careful
Gorgeous Bay not to miss this short side-trip off
the main road. Take the signed
turn on SH35 to the Hicks Bay
store and go about 4km more
until the road ends at the wharf.
This crumbling wharf dates
to the 1920s when the local
farmers attempted to create a
meat-freezing export works to
Crumbling
service the local region (akin to
wharf
Tokomaru’s successful freezing
works [I 5]). The Hicks Bay works
failed though within a short
decade after the initial build. The
wharf still stands as tribute to
their effort. The wharf “in the day” had rails extending back to the freezing
works buildings. You can still see the ruins of the works a ways back from
the wharf, but they are private now, owned by a former slaughterman as
his home/farm. The scenery at the wharf is both beautiful and poignant.
Give it a look before the wharf succumbs
to Father Time.
Waihirere Falls. Just 1km west of the
Hicks Bay junction you’ll see a small
yellow pointer for Waihirere Falls. Pull off
and park thru the gate. This unsung and
virtually unknown waterfall is a towering
hidden gem spitting from a rocky cleft on
the forested ridge. You may spy it on the
East Cape

left on the drive from Hicks. Once parked

it’s but an easy 12-minute walk through
the right-hand (western) of the two carpark
paddocks. Head towards the tall row of
pines and when you pass the relic chimney
you’re on the right track.
DRIVING: The signed turn for Hicks Bay is on SH35 about 11km
north of Te Araroa.
211
 I4 EAST CAPE ROAD
NON-TOURISTY NORTH ISLAND

• Bring: a leisurely pace

Google
Coords -37.635805 178.363520 OBSCUR-O-METER

The East Cape

Rd from Opotiki
to Gisborne is
320km of wild,
uncommercialized
North Island. Sweet
as! This road isn’t
part of any typical
tourist route, and I
don’t intend to steer
it that way either. No
dolphin safari, no
sky dive, no bungy,
no zorb…just bays Tolaga Wharf
and beaches and
beauties. Don’t hurry the East Cape…this isn’t the kind of “frenzied”
place to hurry to the next attraction… the road is slow…the pace is slow.
In my mind the East Cape is a bit about finding your own places, your own
adventures…so I won’t try to say too much here…but rather just give you
some stopping points, camping points…and one must-see (Tolaga Bay).

From Opotiki:
u Hikuwai Beach. -37.990451° 177.312269°. Just east of Opotiki. Long
Beach and walk/bike track.
u Motu River. -37.862489° 177.631580°. Access pebbled river bed on
east side of bridge, walk upstream for a dip in the warm-ish river.
u Historic 1895 Raukokore church. -37.639304° 177.878696°. Stunning
coastal setting.
u Te Rangiharu Beach. -37.612021° 177.957731°. Best beach for a
long walk along the northern East Cape coast.
East Cape

u Lottin Point. -37.552489° 178.163543°. Dunno. Never been out there.

u Te Araroa’s massive Pohutukawa tree. -37.632649° 178.366993°.
Biggest ever!
u East Cape Lighthouse. -37.688939° 178.548085°. The lighthouse
is about 20km from Te Araroa on a half-paved, half-gravel road. The
road is fast and not too laborious. The lighthouse itself is only so-so as a
destination, but the drive there is exquisite 100% oceanfront!

212
u Tikitiki Church. -37.796086° 178.409512°. An amazing must-see.
Free and open for self-entry.
u Waipiro Beach. -38.018674° 178.335318°. Loop road down to beach
community. Old ghost-town buildings, photogenic historic church, and
beach access/camping.
u Anaura Bay. -38.246804° 178.317232°. Gorgeous beach with loop
walking bush track on north end.
u Kaiaua Bay. -38.314518° 178.323330°. Nice long beach, no homes
or development.
u Pouawa Marine Reserve. -38.606825° 178.191248°. Beach walk.
Snorkel?

East Cape Lighthouse

East Cape

213
 I5 TOKOMARU GHOST TOWN
RUINS-A-RAMA AND A DERELICT WHARF
Walk: Short ruins explorations
• Historic photos on website
Google
Coords -38.106321 178.352241 OBSCUR-O-METER

Ok ok, Tokomaru may not strictly be a ghost town, as it does still have
a population near 400, but a century ago it had a population of nearly 5,000
and was the center of business on the East Cape. Thus, I guess I’d call
Tokomaru a sort of living ghost town, now haunted by its once-vibrant past.
The most celebrated bit of Tokomaru’s past is the derelict wharf
crumbling into the sea at the far northern corner of the bay. This circa 1909
wharf (upgraded in 1940) is the oldest of the three East Cape wharves,
pre-dating both Tolaga and Hicks. You can still walk out to the end of
this scenic beauty, though the District Council posts signs warning of its
imminent collapse. It’s kinda neat to watch the ruined pilings past the end
of the wharf wobble and sway with the waves.
To get to the wharf you have to pass the extensive “ghost town” ruins
of the once-celebrated Tokomaru Bay meat-freezing works. The first
amazing building you’ll see along the roadside is the 1912 New Zealand
Shipping Company. Wow, this vibrant red-brick building looks like it closed
yesterday, not back in 1952 when the entire freezing works operations
shut down for good. Next up along ruins row are the extensive remnants
of the Tokomaru Bay Freezing Works. These ruins beg exploring via a
variety of paths snaking through the ramshackle cement/brick structures.
East Cape

1912 Ghost town

214
 One path leads up to
a gravel road where a
short walk up will bring
you to a rusting water
tank with an expansive
view of the entire wharf
area. By far, the most
interesting exploring is
inside the HUGE shell of
a cement building at the
end of the row of ruins.
Inside this 1917 edifice
is a cement jungle
Derelict wharf
I’ll lovingly nickname
“Freeze-henge”. If you’re a keen photographer, take your best shot here
and email it to me for my website – lemme see what you’ve got!! One more
thing…also look for the date on the arch bridge over the wharf’s stream.
Ok, we’re not done with this ghost town yet, especially if you’ve found
these ruins as captivating as I do. Back at the town intersection corner with
SH35, note the derelict buildings. What’s especially interesting is that you’ll
find two banks within a block of each other (the pie-wedge building was a
bank too—look for its etched windows). Imagine a time when Tokomaru
could support TWO banks, whereas nowadays the entire East Cape has
zero banks. Neat. Tokomaru, long may you crumble!

East Cape

Freeze-Henge

DRIVING: Tokomaru is clearly signed on SH35, 36km north of

Tolaga or 56km south of Tikitiki. Turn at the sharp corner signed
to the wharf and go 4km to the road-end ruins.
215
 I6 TOLAGA BAY
SCENIC BAY/LONGEST WHARF/KAYAKING
Walks:
Cook’s Cove: Mod 45-60 min one-way
North Headland View: 15-min staircase
Google
Coords -38.380133 178.321082 OBSCUR-O-METER

Check website! Tolaga Bay is most famous for its “mile-long” wharf—the
tourism icon of the East Cape (really only 660m). While the historic wharf
is scenic, long, picturesque, this bay offers so much more. How ’bout
sandstone cliffs firing in red glow at sunset, scenic Cook’s Cove walkway,
a viewpoint track from the north beach campsite…and the seldom-seen
remarkable Mitre Rocks/Pourewa Island.
Freedom camp and view track The East Cape’s
best walking track
Paddle leads to Cook’s Cove.
(45-60 minutes one-
Double way). The track starts
Arches
with sheep and views,
descends through
loud bush and pops
you out into Hole-in-
Track the-Wall’s sandstone
wonderland and
Ridge Route Cook’s Cove scenic
Arch inlet. Up the hill at
the inlet you’ll find
Capt Cook’s historic
marker, and if you’re feeling hot, maybe go for a swim into the historic
cove. Here’s a bonus secret—the sight of Mitre Rocks and Pourewa Island
are fantastic from the inlet, but much better from the farther ridge above
the cove. Just hop the gate across from the cove and head up the grade
for a half-hour counter-clockwise loop. At the top of the ridge, descend
to the stock pond then up again to the obvious farm track on the eastern
ridge. Wow, payoff! Quite a sight—Pourewa’s emerald channel flanked
by sculpted islands at either end…and a good look at Mitre’s sea arches.
Head north on the ridge then angle back down to the cove to finish the loop.
Once you’ve seen the Mitre Rocks,
you may, like myself, say “I gotta paddle
East Cape

out to see those lovelies up close.”

Fortunately, the campground has kayaks
for hire. The paddle out from the wharf
to Mitre Rocks, then circling Pourewa
Island to loop back…may be the funnest
paddle I’ve ever done (about an 8km
paddle). On a calm day you’ll paddle
along the cliffs, past the Hole, then out to
Mitre to weave through more sea arches Hole-in-the-Wall
216
than you can count. Then swerve
through Pourewa’s cluster of isles,
channels, and sea stacks and come Mitre
back through the aquamarine inside Rocks
passage, maybe stopping at the
beach for a little Abel Tasman-like
swim. Simply Magnificent! Finally,
paddle back under the wharf to end
the journey. Sweet as! This may
be one of the finest unheralded
stretches of WILD coast that this
amazing island has to offer. Pray for
a calm day to experience it. Plan for
a couple of days around Tolaga Bay
to give yourself a chance for calm.
When windy explore Cook’s Cove,
Anaura Beach tracks, Tokamaru’s
ruins, or Loisel’s…when calm,
rejoice around Pourewa and Mitre.

Paddle through the double arch Heading back under the wharf
East Cape

You

Beach
South end of Pourewa Island

DRIVING: Tolaga Bay is 47km north of Gisborne on SH35. Cook’s

Cove Walkway is signed just south of the wharf.

217
 I7 DERELICT TUAHINE POINT
LIGHTHOUSE
BEACH WALK/SCRAMBLE TO PHOTOGENIC RELIC
Walk: LOW-TIDE ONLY. 25-mins from road-end
carpark, half on sand, half on stones.
• Bring: newspaper tide chart
Google
Coords -38.695661 178.070973 OBSCUR-O-METER

This entry is very personal to me. I have no idea if you care about
scenic relics of history, but I sure do. This rusted, eroded, soon-to-crumble
relic immediately jumped to the top of my “favorite NZ lighthouse” list as
soon as I got within 100 meters. Wow, this is historic scenery at its finest!
Don’t ask me why Gisborne doesn’t promote a walk out to this
lighthouse as a local “point of interest”. I’ve asked myself similar questions
all-too-many-days while travelling NZ. Thus this guidebook. Maybe I’m
just weird. Think so?
Ok, anyhow, to get to the Tuahine Point lighthouse (LOW-TIDE
ONLY) you’ve got to drive NE of Gisborne on SH35 to the Wainui Beach
community. At the southern-most homes of the village you’ll find a beach-
access path which drops you down to the sands near a cement erosion
barrier. From here you can see the not-too-distant lighthouse. The walk
is about 10 minutes on the sand then 12 minutes of easy rock-hopping on
the flattish beach stones. Once you get within 100 meters of the lighthouse
you’ll have to clamber over boulders to get as close as you can. If the sea is
calm (yeah, right), you could fairly easily wade across the narrow channel
to get on the lighthouse island itself.

ry
Histwoaits!
a
East Cape

Low-tide rock-hop

218
 If you haven’t had enough of an eye-full of this beauty yet, then if you
backtrack 75 meters from the sea-level viewpoint there’s a steep crumbly
slope that athletic folk won’t have difficulty scrambling up. The exposed
end of this crumbly dirt ridge gives you an excellent birds-eye view down
East Cape

over the lighthouse, as well as a nice view back towards Gisborne and
Sponge Bay.

DRIVING: On SH35 you’ll see signs for Wainui. Turn right onto
Oneroa Rd. then immediately right again onto Murphy Rd. Follow
Murphy just about 700m until it makes a sharp turn at an angled
carpark on Tuahine Crescent Rd., before the road dead-ends.
Park here where there’s a sign for the beach-access pathway.

219
 I8 RERE FALLS
GORGEOUS WATERFALL

• Bring: swimsuit, water shoes

Google
Coords -38.537115 177.609562 OBSCUR-O-METER

Rere Falls is a beaut, but

mostly overlooked by waterfall
connoisseurs. Maybe because
the waterfall isn’t near enough to
any tourism-promoting township, You
Rere Falls receives very little
rah-rah outside of the “101 must-
dos for Kiwis”. All the better.
Definitely go if you have some
time near and around Gisborne.

God pouring 5pm lighting

diamonds This waterfall sparkles into prime time late in
the afternoon—between 3 to 5pm. That’s when the
sunlight hits directly along the entire 60m length.
The even-ness of the shimmering curtain of water
mesmerizes. See the ledge running behind the
curtain of water? You GOTTA try to walk back there
along the slippery ledge to a dryish spot and look
up at the lip. Wow, it appears that god is pouring
diamonds out of the palm of her hand. Seriously! It’s
astounding that Nature could create such a marvel
from such ordinary surroundings.
The pool is very swimmable and after scouting for
the hidden rocks underneath the ledge and the falls,
it’s fun to slide or jump through the curtain of water
(scout first, there are rocks!). Make sure to explore
the top-of-the-falls also.
The carpark has a big grassy area for picnics and
You BBQs, with a toilet.

DRIVING: From Gisborne it’s a 50km, 40-minute drive. Head west

East Cape

on SH2 for 7km and at the roundabout turn right at signs for
Rere (and Eastwood Hill Arboretum). Now head 42km more to
the waterfall carpark.
From Opotiki it’s about 110km and fairly slow. Go south on
SH2 for 68km. 8km before Matawai look sharp for the signed Te
Wera Rd to Rere Falls. From this junction it’s mostly unsealed
for 43km, but every turn is signed for Rere. This road is good and
fast, so it only takes about 50 minutes from SH2. You come to the
rockslide first, with the waterfall 2.5km past.
220
 I9 RERE ROCKSLIDE
nATURAL PHENOMENON

• Bring: Boogie-board, inner tube, old clothes,

first-aid kit
Google
Coords -38.538922 177.590424 OBSCUR-O-METER

HaHaHaHaHa, you’re gonna laugh

when you finally see this middle-of-
nowhere place. Mother Nature, tired from
creating such beauty down the road at the waterfall, decided to skip beauty
and simply create FUN here. Wow, Rere Rockslide…one minute a lazy and
unremarkable stream wallows through boring sheep lands, then the next
minute it morphs into a crazy natural amusement park ride. Hoooeeee!
The rockslide is 60 meters
of gently-angling ramp of rock
on which the stream flow
spreads across enough to
make the whole pitch slide-
able. Amazing….just slippery
and pitched enough to haul
ass, but gentle enough not to
maim you in the process. Still,
the Rere Rockslide is not for
the overly timid…you do rush
The rockslide at low flow (late Feb) down the slope clutching your
boogie-board for dear life, gaining, gaining speed, no chance to bail out
or stop…and SPLASH!…you skitter across the
top of the pool like a skipping stone! Laughing,
you’ll swim to the edge then hurry up the dry rock
ramp so you can do it again…So Cool.
Bring all your friends, as it’s the-more-the-
merrier here. It’s a sunny place, it’s a photo-
friendly place, lots of space to hang-out and
picnic, lots of fun watching people ramp-up their Dad has a go!
bravado. Don’t come all the way here without a cheap boogie-board,
an inner-tube, or some
Splash down! sort of air mattress.
Shoes and shirts help,
East Cape

especially your first rides.

Dare ya to try kneeling!

DRIVING: The rockslide is 2.5km north of the waterfall (previous

entry).
221
 I 10 MAHIA PENINSULA
(Say: Ma-hee-ah)

SCENIC BEACHES/TRACKS
Walk: Easy to difficult walks

Google
Coords -39.085669 177.872291 OBSCUR-O-METER

Girls love Mahia Beach! Mahia is an outstanding peninsula to

explore—unexpected joys around every
corner! The main beach is lovely for a stroll
…especially at sunset when the sun appears
to set into the sea like on the west coast.
At the south end of the beach there’s a
headland named Mokotahi that has a signed
track up to its top—quite the view up there
(look for the track sign on the road past the beach area).
Past the beach/campground the gravel road keeps on and leads 7km
up to a marked DoC loop track
Gisborne Eastside beaches
(then continues beyond). This
4km DoC loop is mostly deep
bush jungle and can give you
a break from the sunny beach,
or give you something to do on
Campground
a grey day. Map at carpark.
Don’t leave the peninsula
without also exploring the
east-side road. The rocks,
coves, pools, beaches and
general photogenic charm View from Mokotahi
of the east side are not to be missed. The eastside rocks!
Mahia’s great…no matter which way the
wind blows there’s always a calm side
to find.
Morere’s
tubs

Morere Hot Springs. Nearby, on

SH2 9km north of Nuhaka, check out
East Cape

Morere Hot Springs for a nice hot soak.

No waterslides or fountains here…just
tranquility, hot pools and bush. It costs
about $6pp, or if you want some naked privacy, then private pools are only
$3 per half-hour/pp. Open roughly 10am to 8-9pm (seasonal).

DRIVING: Easy to find between Gisborne and Wairoa on SH2.

Turn at Nuhaka.
222
 I 11 TE REINGA FALLS
(Say: Tee Ree-enga)

scenic waterfall
Walk: Scrambling opportunities

• Bring: athleticism, swimsuit, water shoes

Google
Coords -38.830436 177.518665 OBSCUR-O-METER

Check my blog! This off-the-beaten-path waterfall is massive—huge

flow, multi-tiers, crescendo of sound, canyon o’ spray. NZ fame has
somehow eluded this waterfall, but when Tourism NZ spreads the word
about the prehistoric dinosaur penguins fossilized at the precipice…then
surely the world will come! Until then all you’ve got is a short path to an
uninspiring partially-obscured viewpoint. But wait. As you backtrack to the
carpark, discouraged from the obscured viewpoint…notice the muddy path
near the railing’s end. Ahhh, you know what to do—down you go. Some
tricky scramble moves let you in on Te Reinga’s hidden charms—a misty
rainbow-licious lower canyon. Scamper and explore.
Later on, back at the carpark, notice the stile over by the fence corner.
Some steps lead down and over to the pool atop the falls. If it’s hot out
and you’re adventurous you might brave a 20m swim to go explore all the
hidden ‘n’ fun top-of-the-waterfall areas. Way worth it!
(Note: 2013 Stile has been removed. Hop fence to access over-
grown gully down to rocks.)
All told, the local Maoris love these falls and seem to want to promote
them a bit, but the word hasn’t gotten out yet. If you’re not very athletic,
there’s really not much to see, but if you’re a scrambler you’ll have fun at
Te Reinga Falls.
Pool above the falls

Swim
across

Scramble Carpark
down to
East Cape

lower
viewpoints

DRIVING: From Wairoa head north towards Waikaremoana for

8km then turn right onto Tiniroto Rd for 28km to Te Reinga. Turn
left at signs leading to the nearby carpark.
223
 I 12 UREWERA NATIONAL PARK
(Say: Oooh-ra wear-a)

home to lake waikaremoana

Walk: Easy/moderate

• Bring: camping gear, umbrella

Google
Coords -38.760503 177.128376 OBSCUR-O-METER

The island’s largest stand of virgin forest is contained in the peculiarly

named Urewera Nat’l Park (it’s named after a burnt penis—true, ask a
ranger!) The primary attraction for most folks is vast Lake Waikaremoana
and all its “Great Walks” hype. As great as a “Great Walk” around this
great lake sounds, be prepared, ’cuz it rains about 50% of the time. For
people who don’t plan on multi-day bush and lakeshore walk, there’s still
plenty to do. Actually, there’s much more to do in the park if you don’t
go on the Great Walk. There are waterfalls galore, day walking tracks,
viewpoints, caves, and springs. There’s swimming, camping, hire boats
and kayaks, fishing…and the neat Lake Waikareiti experience. I won’t
detail the Great Walk here, as it’s easy to read about online. Come on
and investigate Urewera’s virgin forest and varied attractions…they may
be better than “Great.”

Sandy Hut
Mokau
Falls
Camp Hire Boats
Waterfalls
Visitor’s
Center
Camp-
ground
Lou’s
Lookout
Cave
Spring

“Great Walk”

Base map courtesy of www.nzfishing.com

Here’s a rundown of options:
East Cape

u Lake Waikareiti. Lake Waikaremoana is big, but Lake Waikareiti is The

Best! A superlative lake—the clearest, the highest, the most islanded…the
best. The water is deliciously clear—like a bowl of emeralds and sapphires.
At 892m, Waikareiti is the island’s highest swimmable lake. Wait though,
there is a higher swimmable lake, and it’s on an island in the middle of
Waikareiti. It’s little Tamaiti Lake, perched a few meters above lake level
on Rahui Island. Super cool! You’ll need a hire rowboat to get over there…
and bring an air mattress so you can float around like an island on a lake
on an island in a lake—like being in an MC Escher drawing.
224
 Panekiri
Bluff towers
above Lake
Waikaremoana

There’s a walking track around Waikareiti, but the best way to see the
lake is by boat. Wonderfully, there are rowboats parked at lake’s edge
and available for hire when arranged at the Aniwaniwa Visitor Ctr. These
boats are the perfect way to explore the islands, coves, and swim spots
(from the track you don’t see much of the lake.) The boats cost about $20
per 4-hour session. You get a key at the VisCtr, walk up to the lake, unlock
your boat, and have a row. Since the walk up and back takes 1.5 hours,
that leaves 2.5 hours
to row—enough to find
Rahui and Tamaiti, but
not enough to leisurely
row to the Sandy hut and
back. Thus, to cruise the
entire lake and swim and
picnic and frolic, you may
want to hire a boat for
two sessions. Holidays
are packed and you’d
better call ahead to make
a reservation.
Rowing Waikareiti
East Cape

u The track to Lake Waikareiti. The wide, groomed track ascends 300m
and takes about 50 minutes one-way. The walk is a pleasure. The forest
is a primordial green and the track is so manicured that you can gaze up
into the epiphytic heights as you walk. At the lake you’ll find the boats,
a sandy cove, and an enclosed day shelter. This shelter makes a good
rainy-day destination…a dry place to have a snack if you do the walk on a
drizzly day. The Sandy hut is another two hours around the lake, located
on a small beach fronting a pleasantly sandy and shallow cove.
Continued
225
 u The Waterfalls. There are three picturesque waterfalls clustered
around the visitor center. Two are just downstream on easy tracks, and one
is upstream 1.5km (drive or walk there). Mokau Falls is 11km northwest
of the VisCtr on the Murupara Rd. Most people just take a photo of
Mokau from their car, but adventurers can rock-hop and scramble up the
streambed from the camp area for a misty up-close view.
Korokoro Falls is a feature along the Great Walk track.
u Lou’s Lookout. Definitely worth the 15 minutes of steep tramping. This
is the only quick track to a viewpoint in the park. It’s about 150m straight
up from the carpark (or
200m above the lake itself).
Expect fabulous view of the
Panekiri Bluffs rising above
the lake.
u Fairy Springs/ Green
Lake. Neat, a big spring-
fed pool of crystalline clarity!
From Lake Kaitawa’s outlet
an easy 15-minute bush
track circles this gem-like
lake and its outlet stream.
Kind of tricky to find. To
get there drive south of
Onepoto, turn left at the
signed road and go 700m,
then right at the Kaitawa
Power Station sign. Head
1km around the lake and
then left at the gate (signed
for Ngamoko track). Drive
down to the lake outlet, hop
the stile and follow marks to
the right. The ladder to the little lake on Rahui Island
East Cape

Sandy Hut shallows

Lake Waikareiti
226
u Onepoto Caves. (Bring a
torch) This is a half-hour (one-way)
tramp through a boulder garden of
overhanging slabs, tunnels, and
gullies. Good views over the lake
at a couple of points. This is a
fun exploration tramp. Near the
north end look sharp for the “cave
entrance” sign and fork which leads
through a dark tunnel passage. At
the north end of the caves section
cross the road and find the 15-minute
“Alt. track” that loops back, allowing
you to avoid the road.
u Lake Kiriopukare. From the
Great Walk carpark near the lake
outlet, an interesting 20-minute walk
leads to the twin Kiriopukae Lakes.
These lakes are rimmed with the
boulders from the massive landslide
that created Lake Waikaremoana. Onepoto Cave
The info boards at the Great Walk carpark tell the story. Go have a look—
the small lakes are both interesting and photogenic.

East Cape

Waterfall Downstream of Aniwaniwa

DRIVING: From the south it’s 55km from Wairoa, half gravel. From
the northwest at Murupara it’s 80km of slow twisty gravel road,
taking about two hours.

227
 I 13 WHIRINAKI FOREST & WATERFALL
LOOP TRACK (Say: Fear-in-ah-key)
Old- growth primeval forest tracks
Walks: Easy walks, many lengths

Google OBSCUR-O-METER
Coords -38.676664 176.698044

The Whirinaki Forest is different. On

a map it looks like any old Kiwi bush, but
once you get into it you realize that virgin
NZ forest if soothingly different than the
dense second-growth bush that is typical
on most of the island.
The Whirinaki features everything from
long tramps to remote huts…to a long Carpark map
day-walk loop in a waterfall canyon…to a
variety of short hikes to some fine nooks. Also on board is an absolutely
sweet riverside DoC camp. Not only does this camp have its own 8m
waterfall, it also allows and encourages camp fires, either at your campsite
or in the sociable community-shelter fireplace. Thus, possibly the best way
to experience the Whirinaki is to come and camp for a night, do the long
waterfall loop one day and a bunch of the shorter tracks the next day or
two. And, don’t avoid Whirinaki when it’s grey and drizzly out, as the forest
is probably at its most primeval in those conditions.
u Whirinaki Falls Loop: Map at the carpark. This is a 12km loop, taking
about 3 hours, which showcases the virgin forest at its finest. The distance
is long, but the walking is easy with only one little steep hill on the entire
loop. The waterfall is at the far end of the loop, while the track heads
upstream on one side of the gurgling Whirinaki River, then returns along
East Cape

Easy Whirinaki Falls loop

228
 Wai-a-tiu Falls the other side. Definitely go counter-
clockwise so you’ll do the harder west
side first, then have the true pleasure of
an easy stroll through the magnificent
virgin stands of native trees on the way
back along the eastern bank of the river.
If you want a little more walking, then
Vern’s Shelter is 30 minutes more along
the track just past the waterfall, through
some excellent forest also.
u Waiatiu Falls track: this out/back
track leaves from the same carpark as
the Whirinaki Falls loop. This is a 1.5km
walk through extensive tree ferns to a
nice 15m waterfall.
u Sanctuary Loop track: The Sanctuary’s 3km loop track might be the
most enjoyable forest walk I’ve done in NZ, outside of the Waipoua
Forest (B4). Nuff said! You don’t just walk the Sanctuary, you absorb it,
you enthrall it…you look, listen and feel it. Think massive old-growth virgin
trees, one gargantuan tree rivaling the Kauri immensity…think an opera
of birdsong…think neck-stretching
canopy. Wait,…stop thinking and
just go!
The moderate 3km loop track
takes about an hour at a nice slow
pace. The 4km gravel access road
to the Sanctuary is signed just before
Minginui Village.
u Mangamate DoC Campground:
Don’t skip a visit here, even if you
aren’t camping. You can virtually
drive right up to Mangamate Falls for
a bit of a car wash…or just hop in to
have a waterfall rinse before heading
elsewhere. Camping is only $6pp in
the spacious area. Signed on the
access road, 6km from SH38.
Sanctuary!

DRIVING: (FYI, from the SH38 turnoff near Rotorua/Waiotapu,

East Cape

the drive is 72km and takes 66 minutes—a good day-trip from

Rotorua).
The Whirinaki Forest is east of Murupara on SH38 heading
towards Urewera Nat’l Park. Go 20km east from Murupara then
turn right at signs for Minginui/Whirinaki. The DoC camp is in
6km, the village in 9km…and then the road-end carpark for the
two waterfall tracks is another unsealed 6km past the village.
There is a map at the turn off SH38, as well as at the campground
and Falls carpark. All tracks are well-signed and easy to follow.

229
 I 14 TARAWERA HOT SPRINGS
(Say: Tah-rah, wear-ah)

FREE UNCOMMERCIALIZED HOT SPRING TUBS

Walk: Easy 15-minute walk

• Bring: Birthday suit/swimsuit, scrub brush, towel

Google
Coords -39.026311 176.573369 OBSCUR-O-METER

Note: Closed due to 2016 landslide.

May not EVER reopen!
This small natural hot spring
hides nicely just off the beaten
path, even though the nearby
path—SH5—carries thousands
of travelers daily on their mad
rush to NapierArtDecoLand.
This spring has a long and
storied history, as the photos and
articles inside the neighboring
cafe will attest. Apparently,
few Kiwis even know about the
Tarawera hot springs, even
though they’re in the Hot Springs
book, on the Hema maps, and
on the Web. Ahh, still lonely
and serene.
Here’s the scene: two large
cement tubs are perched on a
bush-clad hillside over-looking
the Waipunga River. A hose
directs the meager (yet HOT) flow into the two cement tubs at a soaking-
friendly temperature. The tubs can be algae-prone, but generally
enough people come and go to swirl most of the algae out the overflow
channels. These tubs are not for resort- type folks—they’re for our kind of
people—adventurers!
Go see ’em, go soak
in ’em…it’ll be nice to
have the company of
some fellow travelers
East Cape

and explorers to trade

stories with.

Dawn’s first light

230
 There is a dire DoC sign that
might warn people off, but Sally
Jackson in her NZ Hot Springs
guidebook states, “Contrary
to the signs, the pools are not
closed and I have been assured Soaking
by DoC that people choosing with the
to ignore the signs and visit the stars
springs are not breaking any
trespass laws.”

Note The former Tarawera

Tavern, located at the hot spring
carpark, is now open as a café.
DoC has recently installed a toilet
in the carpark/picnic area (mostly
just as a roadside rest-stop, not as
a hot springer’s carpark).

FYI Waipunga Falls Look-

out is 13km north of the springs and
worth a quick look at the beautiful
Falls.

Waipunga Falls
East Cape

DRIVING: The springs are located behind the Tarawera Cafe, but
not within sight. The signed cafe is 65km SE of Taupo on SH5,
or about 80km north of Napier. Turn into the café, park near the
toilet and walk the rough road through a gate, past a house, down
into the meadow and around the corner (the home belongs to
a friendly man who has cleaned and caretaken the springs for
years). The rough road soon becomes a trail leading along the
hillside to the tubs.
231
 I 15 SHINE FALLS
EXCEPTIONAL WATERFALL
Walk: Moderate 30-minute, 3km one-way

• Bring: gung-ho gusto!

Google
Coords -39.094583 176.86849 OBSCUR-O-METER

Joy joy joy joy joy! Shine Falls

is exceptional! Joy to see the
towering limestone crags presiding
over the carpark. Joy listening to
the rushing stream for most of the
30-minute walk. Joy crossing the
final bridge and hearing nature’s
symphony as your eyes rise to the
spectacular heights of Shine Falls.
At 58 meters, Shine is Hawkes Bay’s tallest waterfall, but more than that,
this waterfall is undoubtedly one of the island’s prettiest. And, not only that,
Shine Falls is FUN because the pool at its base is shallow, sandy, and
inviting. Joy! Bring a picnic, as this cascading crescendo will mesmerize
and “love you long time”.
Lemme get personal for a moment; I live, in America, in a river gorge
famed for its waterfalls—over 50 major waterfalls in an 80-mile span—the
Columbia River Gorge. Thus, it’s kinda hard for a waterfall to truly WOW
me, as I see so many in my daily life as an Oregon guidebook author.
But whoa, Shine Falls knocked my socks off—it’s that grandiose!!
This waterfall is WAY off the beaten path. Travelers rarely hear about
it or make the effort to visit it…always hurrying to get somewhere else,
something more art-deco-y that’s probably less impressive. If there were
a town near Shine Falls, like Raglan is near Bridal Veil Falls, then Shine
would get top-billing as an attraction – it’d literally shine. But Shine is a full
hour’s drive from Napier, the nearest city…and thus this major jaw-drop
spectacle remains seldom-seen.
Here’s a challenge…I challenge you to love Shine Falls, Mother Nature, and
NZ this much. If the carpark is empty, you’ll know that the waterfall is all yours, at
least for a while. So, on the final approach to the falls, just as you cross the last
bridge and the waterfall comes into view…stop at the picnic table, lay down your
pack and your camera and begin stripping off your clothes. Every few steps, as
your eyes boggle at the unfolding magnificence, drop another piece of clothing.
Finally, at the edge of the pool you’ll be naked...naked in pristine jaw-drop NZ.
Keep walking into the pool…calf-deep, thigh-deep, waist-deep in the amazingly
East Cape

soft sand. Wade in until you are encircled by your own rainbow! Look up, raise
your arms, and shout out loud!!
Why get naked like this?? Because you’re in New Zealand dammit!!
Because…if you tell your friends at home, “wow, then we saw this amazing 58m
waterfall spitting from a limestone cleft”…they’ll just yawn at another NZ “wow”
moment….but, if you get naked and Go For It, then you’ll say something like,
“approaching this massive waterfall we stripped naked and walked straight into
the waterfall pool until rainbows encircled our naked nature-loving bodies, just
like Adam and Eve!” I bet that’ll impress your friends and turn them green with
envy at your obvious gusto for life and travel. C’mon now, bare that sweet as!
232
 Naked you

DRIVING: From SH2, Shine Falls has two access-roads that make
a loop, but both are signed “Boundary Stream Tracks” instead of
“Shine Falls” (part of the no-visitation explanation). From Napier
it’s a 60-minute, 55km drive to the carpark. Coming north on the
East Cape

curvy and slow SH2, as you pass the roadside Tutira Lake, look
for the signed junction 4km past the lake at the Tutira Store. Turn
left and go 5km, then stay right at the signed fork for 6km more.
At the next Shine Falls sign turn left for the final 6.5km of gravel
road to the carpark.
Coming from the north, the signed junction is 43km south of
Waihua Beach and just 4km past the roadside Waikare Tavern.
Turn right and it’s a mostly-gravel 14.5km to the carpark, with
signs at the two turns on the way.

233
 I 16 TE MATA PEAK
HAVELOCK NORTH'S VIEWPOINT
Walk: Drive-up to top, or take a short,
fun walk

Google
Coords -39.696408 176.908761 OBSCUR-O-METER

The touristy drive up to Te Mata Peak is Havelock North’s must-

see attraction. You can either join the parade of cars twisting to the top
carpark…park, get out, and gawk a bit with the rest of them…or you can
have some fun and do it the NZ Frenzy way.

Lover’s viewpoint
Drive-up viewpoint
Park

The NZ Frenzy way is this: first you need to scout around in Hav’North
to find and buy a cheapo postcard showing Te Mata Peak and having an
inset box with a drawing of “The Legend of Te Mata Havelock North” (or
check my website). This postcard is crucial to having some frenzied fun
atop Te Mata.
First off, this drawing shows how the outline of Te Mata’s ridge forms
a sort of “sleeping giant”…and thus the legend. The card describes the
Maori legend of Te Mata and how he, as a gigantic love-struck trouble-
maker in lust with a local chief’s daughter, was assigned a courtship task
of eating through the mountain. Unfortunately, he took a giant bite of the
mountain and promptly choked to death…and his fallen outline now forms
the pointy peaks of Te Mata ridge. What the legend doesn’t describe, but
East Cape

the inset drawing obviously shows, is that the love-struck giant Te Mata
died and fell down with quite an erection! Yup, the pointiest point on the
ridge is an obvious sign, even in death, how completely smitten the giant
was with the chief’s daughter.
So….for fun, instead of driving all the way to the peak carpark, you
could park just 1.5km before the top and walk up the pathway to the top,
including a quick scurry of the pointy peak that marks Te Mata’s passionate
amour. Where else are you gonna be able to mount the manhood of a
Maori legend??
234
 Local postcard

Lover’s viewpoint
Drive-up
viewpoint

Walk

Drive
Park

DRIVING: Here’s how: follow the signs on the usual drive up Te

East Cape

Mata Peak, but 1km past the entrance gate and just 200m past
the “BBQ Gourmet” café…park at the lefthand spaces along the
roadside. The erection peak is the pointy one up and to the right
(south). Take the “Peak Trail” for 8-10 minutes steeply upward,
then scurry off-trail up to the point (not the one with the trig on it).
After consummating this lil affair, it’s well worth it to walk another
10 minutes up to the actual Te Mata peak and its mosaic map of
Hawkes Bay. How fun was that? I bet you’ll have more fun telling
that story at home rather than just, “we did the viewpoint drive.”

235
 I 17 HAVELOCK NORTH BEACHES/
WATERFALL TOUR
75KM DRIVING TOUR OF AREA'S HIGHLIGHTS
Drive: A loop tour of the coastal area west
of Havelock North
• Map on blog
Google
Coords -39.743031 177.010633 OBSCUR-O-METER

Starting and finishing in

Havelock North, this is a 75km
back-roads tour—all in the shadow
of Te Mata’s ridge—of the coast’s
two invitingly sandy beaches, an
optional short bush track or funky
9-hole hillside golf course, and then
down a scenic valley with a stop at
a waterfall swimming hole.
If you’re traveling from the south
you may not have seen a beach for
quite a while, or if you are visiting the Napier area, you’ll be pleased to
know that the beaches on this tour are soft and sandy and swim/surfable
compared to Napier’s gravelly wave-pound shoreline.
u Ocean Beach: This is the closer-to-Havelock of the two beaches with
a more undeveloped feel. Long lonely walks to the north are nice. Great
sweeping viewpoint above the beach on the drive in.
u Waimarama Beach: This beach is lined by hundreds of baches, and
thus busy with families at holiday times and weekends. The beach north
of the Domain is more inviting than the rock-bound south end. There’s
a dairy/market in Waimarama, which is the only commercialized shop on
the entire loop route.
East Cape

Viewpoint above Ocean Beach

236
u Mohi Bush/Wairunga
Golf Course: On the ridge
high above Waimarama is
a bush reserve bordering
a funky 9-hole golf course.
Mohi Bush Reserve features
two walking loops touring
the bird-rich bush. Map at
the carpark. Wairunga Golf
Course is as Kiwi-as as golf
can get. A farmer carved
the course out of his scenic
Waimarama Beach
hillside grazing paddocks.
Cheap-as $10 to play with hire-clubs available. Expect odd holes, sheep
for greens-keepers, and exceptional ocean views all the way.
u Maraetotara Falls: This waterfall, boosted in height by some hydropower
cements, spills into an exceptional and locally popular swimming hole. A
two-minute walk heads upstream to the waterfall.

Maraetotara Falls swimming

DRIVING: From Havelock North, head towards Te Mata Peak (then

past) on Te Mata Rd, following signs for ocean beaches. In 9km
you’ll cross the Tukituki River, then in 4km more the loop begins
at the signed junction with Maraetotara Rd.
East Cape

Go clockwise, first 6km to Ocean Beach, then back-tracking

to the Waimarama Beach junction and turning south for 13km
to Waimarama. At Waimarama, after a stop into the beach, head
uphill up the ridge on Okaihau Rd for 10km to the junction with
Maraetotara Rd. A left here leads 2km to Mohi/Wairunga...while
a right heads 15km down Maraetotara Rd to the waterfall area --
keep a sharp eye out for the left-side signed carpark for the falls
(falls are upstream). Then, 3km more finishes the loop and take
a left to head back to Havelock North. Map on blog.

237
 South / Wellington
J

J1 Taumata Longest Place Name J6 Cape Palliser

J2 Waihi Falls J7 Otaki Forks
J3 Tui Brewery J8 Rimutaka Forest Park
J4 Castlepoint J9 Baring Head Loop
J5 Putangirua Pinnacles J10 Wellington Harbours Dr

238
SOUTH / WELLINGTON REGION
The North Island’s southern bit gets very little attention outdoor-
sy-wise. Compared to the rest of the island there’s not nearly as
many natural attractions in the south as there are farther north. But,
if you are an in-no-hurry sort of traveler who likes beautiful spots
that have few fellow travelers, then Cape Palliser and Castlepoint
should do the trick. Castlepoint is divine if the sun is shining, but
I’d probably skip the long trip out there unless the forecast looks
promising.
Wellington, ever-windy Wellington. When the skies clear and
the wind stops trying to topple you, Welly shines like a diamond.
This is a truly beautiful city on a gorgeous harbour. Trouble is that
it’s often cold and damn windy. Good thing though that Welly’s got
the incomparable Te Papa Museum, so when it’s awful out you can
explore the wonders of Te Papa’s withins. And, even in bad weather
the drive around Welly’s outer harbours is fantastic (though it’s of
course WAY better in sunshine).

Don’t Miss:
Castlepoint (J4)
Wellington Harbours Drive (J10)
Baring Head Lighthouse Loop (J9)
Cape Palliser Drive/Seal Colony (J6)

J
239
 J1 Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipu-
kakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
NZ's longest place name
Easy drive-up viewpoint

• YouTube links are on website

Google
Coords -40.338893 176.586713 OBSCUR-O-METER

This nondescript hill in one of the most

isolated spots on the island enchants me.
The only reason that I ever drove by it
was because I was at Waihi Falls and I
was headed north. I haven’t climbed the
namesake hill, as it’s private land. At one
time there was a local commercial tour, but
it doesn’t seem to operate anymore.
What I do know is that, much to my surprise, when I got back to
America after my first NZ visit I heard a Mountain Dew soda ad on the radio
singing this “Longest Place Name.” I loved it!! All through my American
summer I was reminded of NZ every time I heard the song…reminded of
driving around a fantastically The Hill
beautiful island discovering
one delightful adventure
after another!!
Mountain Dew removed
the ad from their website, so
you can’t hear it anymore.
But, Google “world’s longest
place name” and check
Wikipedia for some trivia.
For a true video oddity, an 80’s Brit band
once used this “longest Place name” in the
opening chanted lyrics of a horrid song.
YouTube “Quantum Jump” and watch the
ghastly 2:49 video (code: hchoys_d_bw),
then cringe and click the 3:00 “After Dark”
version (code: fiwm8zma4xm). Arrrgh...
this song went to #5 on the 1979 Brit chart.
Google for song lyrics about Lone Ranger
and Tonto being gay lovers—Yikes!
Since you’re down here, why not
explore the nearby beaches and campsites.
I bet if you’ve strayed this far off the beaten
NZ tourism paths….you’ll find something
to discover around these parts.
Check links on my blog.
South

DRIVING: Check your Kiwimaps/Hema map. This signed spot is

located midway between Porangahau and Wimbledon.
240
 J2 WAIHI FALLS
WATERFALL/SWIMMING HOLE
Long drive, easy short walk

• Bring: water shoes

Google
Coords -40.437322 176.256153 OBSCUR-O-METER

Waihi Falls is So off

the beaten path…yet so
worth a visit. I figured that
I’d stop for a half-hour
and check it out since it
was labeled on the Hema
map…but I ended up
staying a full night and day. Swimming, sunning, exploring down-stream,
photographing the changing light…and making a campfire down at the falls’
pool…so lovely! Of course
I was unprepared for such
beauty—this waterfall isn’t
in the NZ waterfall book and
the Dannevirke brochure has
a couple of small pix, hardly
encouraging a visit. Fact is,
this waterfall is surprisingly
gorgeous! It’s not a high
waterfall, but rather a wide
Sit here
one. You can climb on it a
bit…swim under it a bit…rock
hop from one sunning perch
to another. I won’t even put
Swim a frontal picture of the entire
here thing lest I ruin your surprise.
Follow fence line up-
stream from the carpark a
few minutes to find a path
down onto the fabulous top-
of-the-falls rocks.
Side view of falls

DRIVING: Two roads lead to the falls, making a loop between

Weber Rd and SH52. Either way off the main roads takes about
20-25 minutes to drive.
From Dannevirke (at BP station) head 30km east on Weber Rd
and turn right at Wapiti (at signs for Waihi Falls). Head another
South

15km of mostly-paved road to Waihi Falls Rd, turn left to carpark.

From the south on SH52, the left turn is signed at Waione, then
a twisty 11km of gravel road leads to Waihi Falls Rd.

241
 J3 TUI BREWERY
BIG LAUGHS PLUS DRINK AND FEED

Google
Coords -40.423333 175.864816 OBSCUR-O-METER

This entry is a strange addition to an outdoors guidebook, but Frenzy

doesn’t like rules. I get to make the rules for the Frenzy…so here we go…
The historic Tui Brewery in Mangatainoka is worth a quick stop…or
maybe a longer stop, or maybe, yeah, why don’t we just have another?
Tui isn’t just a beer to me, it’s more a distillation and blending of all good
things Kiwi-esque. Tui is Kiwi pride. Tui is Kiwi attitude. Tui is Kiwi humor,
in spades! I’m honestly typing this as I sip a pint of Tui Brewery’s Reserve
in the Tui pub on a rainy February day, 2016. Of course I refused Tui’s
offer of a free jug to write nice things about them . . . . . . . . yeah right.
Anyhow, I LOVE this place! In my decade of NZ travels, NOTHING has
made me laugh as hard and as often as the dry-as, sarcastic-as series of
Tui “Yeah right” ads that have been running since way back forev’s. Here’r
some random ones, of the millions of them, that are scattered around the
brewery (Google “Tui Yeah Right ads” for more):
1) Beer doesn’t really go with that . . . . . . . . Yeah right
2) I’m fine – I’ve just got something in my eye . . . . . . . . Yeah right.
3) I was reading her T-shirt . . . . . . . . Yeah right.
4) Yes, I’ve read the instructions . . . . . . . . Yeah right
5) I’m pretty sure I work the hardest around here . . . . . . . Yeah right.
6) Someone else used my credit cards . . . . . . . . Yeah right.
7) U. S. intelligence . . . . . . . . Yeah right.
8) Bikinis shouldn’t be that small . . . . . . . . Yeah right.

Ok Ok Ok, I could go on and on

listing those laugh-out-loud quips,
but I need to take a break and
refuse another free jug…yeah right!
I seriously laugh damn hard when I
read all these ads! Hahaha, “I was
reading her T-shirt” hahaha lol!
The pub in Mangatainoka is full
of these ads, as well as all kinds
of Tui arcana and memorabilia.
Seriously great! And that’s only the
pub. The Tui one-room museum
next to the pub beside the outdoor
beer garden is a grand visual
South

testament to all things Tui, including

yet more of the can’t-help-but-laugh-
out-loud ads. Upstairs at the pub are

242
 Historic brewery
tower
DIY Billboard

Author
(yeah right)

comfy couches to snuggle up to your pint on. Outside past the patio area
is a DYI full-size magnetic billboard inviting you to create your own “yeah
right” ad, all in sight of the fabulous historic brewery tower.
Laugh your head off.
Massage your liver. Nowhere
says “Kiwi” to me more than
Tui Brewery. Nuff said. Well
wait, maybe not ’nuff. Where
else are you hurrying to on
your travels that’ll be more
memorable than a long visit
to Tui? Napier…yeah right.
Masterton…yeah right. Cape
Palliser…well maybe the
cape and its seal pups and
lighthouse are worth hurrying
to, but surely you’ll enjoy
Palliser a bit better with some
icy takeaway Tuis in your
chillybin.

Tui ads in
museum
South

DRIVING: The brewery is located on SH2, clearly signed about

11km south of Woodwille or 30km north of Eketahuna.

243
 J4 CASTLEPOINT
LIGHTHOUSE/BEACHES/CAVE/VIEWPOINT

• Bring: torches/headlamps, wetsuit, tide chart

Google
Coords -40.900732 176.225443 OBSCUR-O-METER

I know you’re Lighthouse

wondering…is the The Cave
long drive worth it?? Carpark Reef
67km in…is a visit
to Castlepoint worth
it? Yes, emphatically
YES! Even Kiwis Drive on
are surprised just Beach
how nice it actually Surfers
is when they finally Track
venture out!
Castlepoint is
definitely the jewel Author
“working”
of the Wairarapa
coast between
Napier and Cape Palliser. It’s not big place, but it’s packed with interesting
attractions to see and do and photograph.
Here’s a rundown of Castlepoint exclamation points:
u A picture-perfect lighthouse stands
sentinel atop a half-mile limestone ridge
jutting out into the sea. An easy boardwalk
tracks lead to it and around it.
u The limestone sea-ridge extending
from the lighthouse is fascinating! Walk
the ridge to see waves bash, waters spout,
and gullies surge. Look close because the
ground underfoot is rife with fossils.
u A hidden cave under the lighthouse
beckons adventurers…no wait, more than
a cave…an actual tunnel out to the sea. No
wait, more than a tunnel…a huge cavern.
Extraordinary! Limestone cave formations
washed by waves—where else can you
see that? You can only get to the cave
opening at low tide, accessed over some
boulders from the edge of the beach by
South

the lighthouse-access boardwalk. Wear

sturdy footwear, and bring headlamps/
flashlights. Once inside head left for
244
 Ocean Bay

Inside lighthouse cave

WOW. (This is my favorite spot Wave bash

at Castlepoint!!) Virtually nobody Limestone
even knows this extraordinary cave reef
exists. Seals sometimes guard the
cave’s entrance, so keep your eyes
peeled…and bring your camera!
u The Deliverance Cove Lagoon
hosts an intriguingly protected surf
break, as well as packed wetsand
which enables you do drive a
car over to the far surf-
break beach at lower tides.
Where else can you surf Castle Rock
inside a breakwater? Reef gap
u CASTLE ROCK towers
162m above the lagoon
and sports an epic view of
everything! A track heads
up from the surf beach.
u One oft-overlooked
feature of Castlepoint is
the gravel road that heads
Drive-on beach
north from the Whakataki
junction (a few kms before arriving at Castlepoint village). This road cruises
a GORGEOUS section of coast riddled with strange tidal rock formations.
At the final lagoon, where the road turns inland, you can park and walk the
beach northwards towards unending surprises and 100% solitude—very
impressive!!
u Castlepoint village itself is mostly baches, but it has a mini-mart Dairy
with groceries and gas and also a pub and restaurant.
South

DRIVING: Castlepoint is 67km from Masterton on a good sealed

road. Coming from the north there’s a good 53km half-gravel road
from Alfredson to Tinui…then signed to Castlepoint.
245
 J5 PUTANGIRUA PINNACLES
(Say: Poo-tangi-roo-ahh)

geologic oddity
Tramp: Moderate/difficult 90-120 min loop

Google
Coords -41.450173 175.225648 OBSCUR-O-METER

Check my blog for

longer/better loop
options!
Towering spires and pinnacles highlight this unique “badlands” area.
Pick your way up a dry streambed and then veer into a left-side gully and
you’ll find yourself suddenly surrounded by an eerie grey kingdom of sky-
scraping sentinels. Total Lord of the Rings oddness, and, sure ‘nuff, this
landscape was featured in LOTR’s Dimholt Road scene in “Return of the
King” (about 80 minutes into the movie). Putangirua has some of the most
dramatic and picturesque geology on the island—don’t miss it if you love
unique landscapes!
There are two main options for seeing the pinnacles—either an hour
out/back up the dry rocky streambed, or a more challenging 90-120 minute
loop that climbs through the bush to an upper view platform. Each route
features some unstable footing. For the streambed route to the pinnacles,
make sure you stay with the left fork when the stream heads right.
For the loop I’d go clockwise and do the ascending while you’re full of
excitement to see the badlands. Head up the streambed for five minutes
South

Amidst pinnacles looking south

246
and look sharp for
the easy-to-miss
orange marker
on the tree at the
stream’s first left
bend. Lots of steps
lead 35 minutes to
the view platform,
then backtrack
and head down
to the streambed.
At the streambed
definitely go left
and up into the
pinnacles before
you follow the
stream back out.
The best photos
are made when
you’re up the
canyon looking
back out with the
sun at your back.

A look from
the viewpoint

DRIVING: From Martinborough head south and then left at

South

Whangaimoana (the road to Cape Palliser). Go 13km and as the

road descends to the coast, pinnacles are clearly signed on the
left.
247
 J6 CAPE PALLISER
COASTAL DRIVE/LIGHTHOUSE/seal colony
250 stairs, rocky explorations, coastal walk
Google
Coords
Lighthouse: -41.612843 175.291654
Pups: -41.610256 175.273532
Waterfall: -41.601182 175.325349 OBSCUR-O-METER

Most interest in Cape

Palliser has to do with the
iconic lighthouse perched
atop the grueling 250-step
staircase. That and the
To lighthouse fact that the coastal drive,
on a sunny day, is one
of the most beautiful
24kms anywhere in NZ!
Thus, the drive and a visit
to the lighthouse are the
typical tourism visit. Poor
Gorgeous coastal drive them. Little do the Lonely
Planet hordes know what
they’re missing; there’s a new circus in town at Cape Palliser and the stars
of the show are a legion of irresistibly cute fur seal pups. Just a decade
ago you’d maybe see a few adult seals lounging on the rocks near the
lighthouse, but nowadays a vibrant breeding colony has moved-in to the
point of rocks just 1km before the lighthouse. The coves and rocks here are
literally swarming with thousands of frolicking seals. The young juveniles
cavort amongst the kelp beds whilst the cute newborns bounce around on
the cobbled beaches and the shallow tide pools hidden along the rocky
point. This place is now an up-close in-person cutest-thing-ever seal
pup showcase. Whoa, with almost no visitors. Definitely the best place
to gawk at seal antics up-close on the North Island, and perhaps in all of
NZ. No crowds, at least not yet. The best Steps to lighthouse
pup-filled tide pools are hidden amongst
the rocks towards the point—you gotta
scout around, but when you discover a
pool full of playful and curious pups…
oh man, just you, seals, and smiles for
miles. These little-known Palliser pools
are now one of my favorite spots in all
of NZ. Nuff said.

Cape Palliser Coastal Walk. Past the

lighthouse carpark you can walk through
the gate and then follow the rough 4WD
South

coastal track northwards along the uber-

scenic coast. No pesky tourists, perhaps
some local fishermen…but always lots of
248
 Seal colony rocks

Lighthouse view

wave-lapped coves full of colorful swooshing kelp beds. Awesome views

forever. You can turn back whenever you feel…but if you walk about 3.5km
to round the mountainous point ahead to where you can then see much
further up the coast…you’ll come to yet another gate and a rock wall just
before a flowing stream crossing. Follow the footpath uphill along the rock
wall and then scamper into the streambed
boulders and you’ll immediately find a
minor waterfall swimming hole. A perfect
endpoint for this coastal exploration,
known only to long-time locals. Return the
way you came.

Big seals
Pup hideout

Baby seals

DRIVING: It’s 37km to the cape after turning off the road between
Martinborough and Lake Ferry. Once you get to the signed
Putangirua Pinnacles site, the road then hugs the coast for the
next 24km to the road-end lighthouse. Past the village of Ngawi
South

the road turns to gravel for the last few kms. Ngawi might have
a tiny market or food cart, but don’t expect anything commercial
the entire way. Stock-up on everything at Martinborough.
249
 J7 OTAKI FORKS
BUSH TRACKS IN RIVER CANYONS
Walks: Easy and moderate tracks

Google
Coords -40.871582 175.230268 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Otaki Forks are a camping and trailhead area 17km east of Otaki,
at the edge of the vast Tararua forest. This spot just feels good—not
dramatic or heart-stopping scenery, yet a nice feel of wide-open views of
verdant hills and river-filled canyons. There are scads of free camp areas,
short loop tracks, tramps to far-off huts…there are converging rivers, swing
bridges, swimming holes, and 100-year-old saw mill ruins. A relaxing place
to spend a day or two camping.

Swimming hole swing bridge

South

250
 Swing
Bridge

Ruins

Upon arriving head to the caretaker’s house to see/buy the detailed

map and to buy hut tickets if you want them. To start exploring try the
Arctus loop. It’s a fairly easy 50-minute loop starting at the swing bridge.
Make sure you take a walk to the Otaki River swing bridge—it’s 20 minutes
from the carpark towards the Waitawaewae hut and it features the best
and deepest swimming hole directly under the photogenic bridge. Saw mill
ruins are up the Waiotauru River.

Sawmill ruins
South

DRIVING: From SH1 the signed turn to Otaki Forks is just south of
Otaki, on the south side of the Otaki River bridge. The first 10km
are sealed and the last 7km are unsealed.
251
 J8 RIMUTAKA FOREST PARK
(Say: Rim-oooh tah-kah)

bush tracks/beach access

Easy to difficult tracks

Google
Coords -41.348771 174.929513 OBSCUR-O-METER

Rimutaka is a super-popular
forest park easily accessed by
both Wellington and the Hutts.
Expect weekend crowds. The
main attractions of this park are
a bunch of relatively easy and
well made tracks throughout the
dense bush as well as picnic and
camping areas alongside the
pleasant Catchpool stream.
A highlight is the Orongorongo
Track—referred to as “one of New
Zealand’s most popular trails”,
though probably simply because
its proximity to a large population.
It’s one-hour one-way to the
Turere Stream / Orongorongo River junction, the
Orongorongo Junction entire way a captivating bush walk
filled with birdsong and stream
gurgles…ahhhh. Amazingly, there are NO STEPS the entire one-hour
length—maybe the only step-free
bush walk on the island. Look up as
you stroll...no steps or roots to trip you
up…yay! Reaching the river junction
you’ll find a surprisingly wide-open
sunny canyon where you can explore
either up or down stream to find your
own private spot.
The 5-mile/Middle Ridge loop is a
great 45-minute jaunt, a little steeper…
more bush and stream, roots and
rocks, views at the top, and a neat
Beech and Rata forest where you may
even spy a possum putting the munch
to a Rata. Add the Catchpool loop for
an extra 20 minutes.
Wellington
South

Beach

252
 Turakirae Head. Past the Rimutaka
entrance by 9km is the road-end carpark
for Turakirae Head. The map-denoted seal
colony is about an hour’s walk southeast
past the homestead.
Seals aren’t plentiful in the summer,
but you’ll probably see at least a few if you
hoof it out there. The windswept beach
feels remote—go for a walk and watch the
inter-island ferries come and go. A nice
antidote to Wellington’s crowds.
Rata-eating possum

Baring Head
Lighthouse
Wellington

Turakirae Carpark Beach

Turakirae Head seal

South

DRIVING: From Petone or Lower Hutt you need to follow signs onto
Wainuiomata Rd. Climb the hill, stop at the harbor viewpoint, then
continue on another 17km(ish) to the signed entrance to Rimutaka.

253
 J9 BARING HEAD LIGHTHOUSE LOOP
GORGEOUS HEADLAND/SHORELINE LOOP ROUTE
Walk: Mod 2.5 hour loop, with longer options

• Route map on NZ Frenzy North blog

Google
Coords -41.411831 174.887512 OBSCUR-O-METER

The Baring Head area is the newest gem in the East Harbor Regional
Park system. A nice network of tracks weave over and around the
headland that rises over the opening of Wellington Harbour on one side,
and the mouth of the Wainuiomata River on the other. The main point of
interest, other than the non-stop spectacular views of the undeveloped
surroundings, is the elegant, yet rarely-seen, 1935 Baring Head Lighthouse.
The loop tracks in this park can be accessed from either of two carparks
along the Wainuiomata River, one at the beach and one 2km up the road
from the beach.

Turakirae Head

Park

Return route

Wainuiomata Rivermouth as seen from lighthouse

After walking all the various routes two different times, I’m going to
describe the route I think is best for a one-time visit to the park, though
there are maps at each carpark if you’d like to change or add-to this route.
Walk I feel that it’s best to begin a loop at the beach carpark, mainly
because it’s much nicer to end a loop along a wave-splashed beach to a
scenic carpark rather than ending up at a lifeless paddock-side carpark
South

along a sluggish stream.

Thus, this route, in a nutshell, tours around the beach and shoreline
rocks to the NW edge of the park before ascending to the ridge and then

254
 Historic
lighthouse

following the ridge to the trig/bunker, then down to the lighthouse, then
back down to the beach, skirting the rivermouth back to the carpark. This
route isn’t designated by any dotted line on the carpark maps—this is the
Frenzy Baring Head route.
Begin along the beach. In summer the Wainuiomata River doesn’t
usually overflow the beach, so you can walk dry-footed past where the
river seeps through the pebbled sands. Head about 20 minutes to the
rock-climbing rocks directly beneath the lighthouse area. Note the road
that winds down the ridge across the river, as this will be your return
route. Strangely, you cannot see the lighthouse. Keep along the beach for
another 25-30 minutes. This is the private-land area denoted on the map,
but the grassy land is private, not the shoreline pebble-beach. When you
get to the fencing at the end of the private land, you can then walk along
the easier road if you wish to. Along this stretch you’ll have views ahead
of the two distant lighthouses at Pencarrow Head. Soon you come to a
road descending to the beach from the ridge above. Turn right and up this
road until you come to the marked route that heads along the ridge back
towards the lighthouse. 30 minutes along you’ll ascend past a mysteriously
fenced-in derelict chimney, and then up to the Para trig and caved-in WWII
bunker. From here the marked route descends the open-grassy hillside to
the obvious lighthouse complex. From the lighthouse follow the signs and
the power-poles down the road that descends the ridge to the riverside
and skirt back around the river to the beach and carpark.
South

DRIVING: Same as Rimutaka (J8), but pass the Rimutaka entrance

and keep going another 9km to the signed beach carpark.

255
 J10 WELLINGTON MULTI-HARBOUR
DRIVE TOUR
AROUND THE HORN...WITH MINI-GOLF!
Drive: A 50km-ish driving tour of
Wellington’s ultra-scenic outer harbours

Google
Coords -41.294167 174.835828 OBSCUR-O-METER

My favorite thing to do in Welly, other than learn my brains out at Te

Papa, is to drive the wonderful roads that make a loop all the way around the
many harbours, bays, and coves that lie east/southeast of Wellington. The
route is simple—just leave from Te Papa heading east along the harbour
towards Oriental Bay and just stay along the water for the next 30-ish kms.
Along the way you’ll contour the shoreline of the Miramar peninsula, past
the south end of the airport, then along the uber-scenic southern shore
of Island bay…until reaching “the end of the road” at Owhiro Bay, directly
south of Wellington proper.

Outer bays

At Owhiro Bay you’ll

want to take Happy
Valley Rd northwards
to get back downtown
(7km)….but wait, before
speeding back to the
city to do more festive
city-like activities…leave
time to “putt an 18” at
the quirky-fabulous
“Carlucci-Land” mini-
South

golf course on Happy

Valley Rd. If mini-golf

256
 Carlucci
mini-golf

doesn’t sound like your thing, then think again. Carlucci-Land is no normal
mini-golf, but rather an imaginative fantasy-land of metal sculpture where
the game “Chutes and Ladders” got re-created as an adjective-defying
mini-golf course. Instead of LOTR, think Lord of the Rust! There’s no other
mini-golf course ANYWHERE like Carlucci-Land….so even if you don’t
have the time and $12 to laugh through a round, at least plan to pop in
for a quick ‘n’ free look-see.
(A neat secret of Carlucci-
Land is that it stays open
all thru the night…so you
can come at night and
mini-golf under the stars
(and flood-lights) with beer
in hand—just drop your $12
in the honesty box and grab
a ball ‘n’ putter).

Lord of the Rust

South

Smaug

257
 INDEX
Abbey Caves...60 Karangahake Gorge...90
Ahipara/Shipwreck Bay...22 Karekare Beach...84
Aotea Beach...185 Kauaeranga...96
Aratiatia Rapids...150 Kauri Mtn...66
Aroha Island...48 Kauri Museum...45
Awakino Heads...191 Kauri trees...24, 36, 38, 45, 59, 62,
Baring Head Lighthouse...254 92, 106, 121
Baylys Beach...42 Kawhia...185
Bethell’s Beach...81 Kerosene Creek...136
Billygoat Falls...97 Kinloch Bay...155
Bream Head...68 Kiwi Bird spotting...38, 48
Bridal Veil Falls...180 Kohi Point Loop Trk...208
Broken Hills...98 Kuirau Park Rotorua...132
Butcher’s Pool...147 Lady Knox Geyser...144
Cape Palliser...248 Lake Rotopounamu...161
Cape Reinga...4 Lake Tarawera (East)...130
Carlucci-land...256 Lake Waikaremoana...224
Castle Rock track...107 Lake Wainamu...81
Castlepoint...244 Lighthouses...4, 5, 200, 212, 218,
Cathedral Cove...102 237, 244
Caves...60, 70, 86, 102, 166, 190, Mahia Peninsula...222
192, 216, 227, 245 Mahinepua Peninsula...27
Coromandel Road 309...106 Maitai Bay/campground...18
Craters of the Moon...153 Mangawhai Walkway...73
East Cape Rd...212 Maori art...138, 159
Egmont Branch Railway...201 Maraehako Bay...210
Egmont National Park...202 Marokopa Falls...189
Elliot Bay...54 Matapouri Mermaid Pool...58
Fig Tree Bay...20 Maunganui Bluff...41
Gairloch Shipwreck...199 Mokau Beach...191
Glowworms...60, 70, 166, 187 Mount Maunganui...118
Goldie Bush...80 Mt Aubrey/Reotahi...64
Hamurana Springs...127 Mt Karioi...181
Havelock North Beaches...236 Mt Manaia...63
Hicks Bay Wharf...211 Mt Ngauruhoe...168
Hokianga Harbour...30 Mt Ruapehu...172
Hokianga’s Hidden Sands...32 Mt Tauhara...160
Homunga Beach...95 Mud Pool...142
Hot Springs...50, 100, 129, 136, 140, Muriwai Beach...78
141, 146, 147, 156, 162, 185, 230 Ngawha Hot Springs...50
Hot Water Beach...100 Ninety-Mile Beach...14
Hot/Cold Hot Spring...146 Ohakune...176
Huka Falls...152 Okere Falls...128
Kaiate Falls...120 Okupata Cave...166
Kai-Iwi Lakes...40 Omahuta Kauris...24
Kaituna River...128 Omaru Falls...196

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Orakei Korako...154 Te Werahi Track...5
Orokawa Beach...94 Thames...108
Otaki Forks...250 Tokaanu Thermal Pools...162
Otanewainuku Reserve...126 Tokatoka Peak...44
Paihia...47, 48-49 Tokomaru Wharf...214
Paritutu Rock...51 Tolaga Bay...216
Patea Shipwreck Lookout...204 Tongaporutu...192
Piha Beach...82 Tongariro Crossing...167
Pinnacles Loop Kauaeranga...96 Tree Trunk Gorge...177
Piroa Falls...72 Trounson Kauri Park...38
Port Jackson...108, 110 Tuahine Pt Lighthouse...218
Puheke Hill...16 Tuahu Kauri...121
Putangirua Pinnacles...246 Tui Brewery...242
Raglan...180 Tutukaka Coast...56
Rainbow Falls...49 Urewera Natl Park...224
Rainbow Mtn...135 Waihi Beach...94
Rarawa Beach/Campground...12 Waihi Falls...241
Redwoods...127, 133, 200 Waihirere Falls...211
Rere Falls...220 Waikawau Beach...(Coromandel)
Rere Rockslide...221 114
Rimutaka Forest...252 Waikawau Tunnel Beach...190
Ruakuri Tunnels...187 Waikite Valley Hot Pools...140
Ruapehu’s Wowland...172 Waimangu Thermal Vlly...134
Ruapuke Beach...182 Waiorongomai Valley...122
Russell...52 Waiotapu...144
Scott Point/Twilight Beach...10 Waiotemarama...34
Shine Falls...232 Waipoua Forest Kauris...36
Shipwrecks...22, 199, 204 Waipu Cave...70
Smugglers Cove...67 Wairere Falls...124
Spa Park Hot Springs...156 Waitangi shipwreck...204
Spirits Bay beach/campground...12 Waitangi Soda Springs...129
St Paul’s Rock...26 Waitawheta Tramway loop...92
Taharoa Beach...186 Waitomo...188
Tane Mahuta Kauri...37 Waterfall Spout Bath...141
Tane Moana Kauri...59 Waverley Beach...205
Tapotupotu Beach/campground...13 Wellington...256
Taranaki Surf Highway...200 Whakamoenga Point...158
Tarawera Falls...130 Whakapapa Village...170
Tarawera Hot Springs...230 Whakarewarewa...133
Taumata…longest name...240 Whakatane...208
Te Arai Pt...74 Whanarua Falls...210
Te Henga Walkway...79 Whangarei Falls...62
Te Mata Peak...234 Whangaruru North Head...55
Te Matua Ngahere Kauri...37 Whatipu Beach...86
Te Paki Dunes...8 Whirinaki Forest...228
Te Paki Stream...6 Whitecliffs Walkway...194
Te Porere Redoubt...164 Whitianga...14
Te Reinga Falls...223 Yakas Kauri...37

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 AUTHOR’S NOTE
I’m 51 years old at this release of Frenzy’s third edition, with a solid
ten full summers of NZ exploring under my belt. After about 900 days of
exploring and adventuring throughout NZ, I still find new stuff to amaze me
all the time. This new edition contains some of my newest obscure “finds”,
while also deleting some that have changed for the worse or just fallen out
of my favor. As I’m sure you can tell, my guidebooks are a bit different than
most and they are very personal to me. The stuff I write about to include in
these Frenzys is what I like and think you’ll like too...even though everyone
is different. I’ve learned over this past decade that what makes the books
fun for me to research and write, and what then makes it fun and exciting
for you to read about, is that I stick to places and stuff that I love…and thus
can write passionately and excitedly about. I don’t bother to include boring
walks or dull beaches even though I do spend a ton of time and effort to
explore those places just to “check them out”, trying always to find that
elusive diamond-in-the-rough. But, chances are you are an NZ traveler with
limited time and you want to know what is GREAT without having to wade
through a sea of information about places that sound iffy. This is the “work”
I do for you—I find great stuff, both the popular and totally obscure—and
then describe it in enough detail to possibly get you excited enough to go.
I love doing this. There’s no way I could write a guidebook to dull places
and crappy viewpoints. It would crush my soul. I’d probably become like
some of those other guidebook authors who write such tepid books. Nope,
not me. So, I hope you like this collection of NZ ventures that pleases and
excites me. I’ve gotten great enough reviews for a decade and received
enough personal emails to know that plenty of travelers LOVE my style.
I love that, and hope you love my style too!
As for me, all I do for
a living is write guide-
books. I’ve written three
for the state of Oregon,
USA…as well as these
two Frenzy guidebooks.
I basically split my time
spending some of the
year in NZ and then the
rest in my home of Hood
River, Oregon. Sounds
rough huh? Other than
constantly exploring amazing natural landscapes on foot, I also love to
mountain bike, kiteboard, and paddleboard.
I get emails somewhat frequently asking if I’ve written about other
places or know about any guidebooks like my own. Let’s see….I would
like to maybe write about Canada or Iceland or South Africa…but I find
it fairly difficult just to keep up with the four books I have. I don’t want to
spread myself too thin…nor do I really want to make my “job” any more
260
 I miss my NZ van “Camo.” No WOF, no chance of WOF, RIP Camo.

complicated than it is. Why don’t you go write those guidebooks so I can
just buy them from you and have myself a proper fun exploration-vacation??
As for other guidebooks like mine…I can’t help you much there. The
series called Hawaii Revealed may be the best guidebooks I’ve come
across anywhere, but I don’t know of any other books like those or like mine.

Interested in helping me?? The first-best way to help me succeed being

a self-published guidebook author is to review my book(s) on Amazon.
com or one of the foreign Amazon sites even if you purchased the book
from Amazon.com. Chances are that the only reason you bought my book
was because of the stellar reviews. Please do me the favor of keeping
my momentum going, as Amazon promotes my book in its rankings just
a little extra because of the great reviews. On the other hand, if you think
my books “aren’t all that” compared to your expectations, then by detail-
ing what you didn’t like in a review will also probably help both myself
and future travelers too. I LOVED the review that said my book was a bit
too “outdoorsy”, especially since the first line of my book description on
Amazon read “This is an outdoors guidebook”. Hmmm, I reckon I’ll have
to work on my clarity a bit hahahaha!
The second-best way to help me is to let me know if any of the outings
have substantially changed from what I’ve presented in print. I’m a one-
man show and I obviously can’t be everywhere all the time, but I make
it a priority to check-up on places that I’m alerted-to. Check-in with my
website first to see if I’ve added an alert of some type to that particular
entry, especially if you wonder “I wonder if Scott knows that they changed
the—?” Thanks in advance—your reviews and emails help me immensely!

Katikati Haiku
Walkway

261