Waikato trail notes

Whangamarino Redoubt Track - 2.5km / 45 minutes

This is a very scenic route but the track is basic, hilly and can be slippery - so good footwear and reasonable fitness required.  From the southern end of Skeet Road, keep going straight ahead, following the fence-line and orange markers. When the fence ends, keep following the markers over farmland and through the bush. From the high points, there are great views of the Waikato River and the Whangamarino wetland which is the second-largest bog and swamp complex in the North Island.

Near the southern end of the track is the Whangamarino Redoubt (a historic site from the Māori Wars era). At a stile, you have the choice of going right, past remnants of the war entrenchments and through Department of Conservation (DOC) estate or straight ahead down to Oram Road.

Whangamarino Wetlands Track - 5.5km / 2 hours

From the Whangamarino floodgate, follow the markers underneath the railway line and the two highway bridges before coming up on the banks of the Waikato River and west of SH1.

Walk south as close as practicably to the Waikato River, past the mythological Taniwha lairs and through boggy wetlands and landscaped grasslands to the outfall by the former power station.

Once you've crossed the bridge, continue a further 150m around the first corner and there is a stile to take you across the first fence to this riverside track which runs parallel to Te Ōhākī Road. On a clear day, you'll see the orange-topped chimneys of the Huntly Power station standing in the distance. 

1.5km in, past Maurea Marae, there's a monument to the Ngāti Naho chief, Te Wheoro, whose personal history embodies the extraordinary stresses of colonial rule on Waikato Māori as they argued strategies to preserve tribal identity. Te Wheoro sided at first with the Crown. In 1857, he spoke against setting up a Māori king and, at the great conference of Māori leaders at Kohimarama in 1860, spoke again in favour of the Government. Governor Grey's British troops invaded Waikato territory in July 1863. In November that year, the British Troops overcame the Māori redoubt at Rangiriri, forcing the Māori King, Tāwhiao, out of Ngāruawāhia to sanctuary around Waitomo and Te Kūiti. In the years that followed, Te Wheoro acted as an intermediary for the Government's negotiation with the King. As a Māori MP over the next two decades, Te Wheoro witnessed Government decisions he saw as racist and finally became an implacable critic of the Native Land Court. He came to believe local self-government was right for Māori and in 1884, in company with Tāwhiao, he travelled to England to petition Queen Victoria for a redress of Māori land seizures.

At 7km, the track comes up to the Huntly Golf Course. The track follows the river, keeping behind a screen of trees, safe from the golf balls that ping up the 16th fairway. At the tee, it's safe to come out. The clubhouse is nearby and opens most weekends for hot food, maybe even a beer. Walkers are welcome.

The track follows the stopbank out to Te Ōhākī Road, to circumvent the Huntly Power Station's ash ponds. It stays on the road verge for another kilometre before ducking back onto the stopbanks, crossing Māori land between Te Ohaaki Marae and the river, then exits back onto the road. For the last 200m, it enters shady bush through the sculpture park in front of Huntly Power Station.

The Hakarimata Track is steep, hilly and arduous but the bush and views are worth it. The Hakarimata Walkway can be walked from either its southern end, near Ngāruawāhia, or northern end, closer to Huntly. There are car parks at both ends of the track.

The track from Parker Road starts on the Kauri Loop Track which leads up a long flight of steps, then levels out to a largely open area with views to the north. Continue up (southwards) from the Lower Lookout through stands of large rimu to the Upper Lookout with its spectacular views to the north and west.

Alternatively, take the Kauri Loop Track west of the Lower Lookout to walk on past an old pā site and through bush to the large kauri trees. A few minutes further on, there's the kauri grove bush viewpoint. This loop track takes you through to the Upper Lookout. (This will add on approx 1 hour to your day).

The Hakarimata Walkway starts from the Upper Lookout. Head in a southerly direction for 20 minutes to the southern lookout where there are excellent views south across Hamilton. The Walkway continues along the undulating crest of the Hakarimata Range with occasional views out to the west and east. 

Approx 500m southeast of highpoint 314, there is a rough exit track heading down in an easterly direction past the old quarry to Hakarimata Road on the western banks of the Waikato River. It's obviously used by locals as a shortcut to town but it is tight in places.

Immediately after crossing the Waipā River, take a sharp left into Sampson Street and follow it around, joining Broadway Street, then onto the Lower Waikato Esplanade.

Follow this under the railway line and road bridge and immediately after the road bridge, join the paved path. You are now on the Te Awa cycle/walkway. Follow through to the riverside reserve. Across the river is the Tūrangawaewae Marae, a very significant marae of the Māori people of New Zealand and the official residence and reception centre of the head of the Kīngitanga (the Māori King Movement). 

Te Awa continues along the river, continuing south as you leave Ngāruawāhia. You'll see the Ngāruawāhia Golf Course to your right and shortly after a spectacular green bridge will appear. Cross the bridge and you will now be on the true right of the river.

The path will take you to Horotiu Bridge Road, where you'll cross back over the Waikato River, and down onto the Te Awa path along the river, with a small deviation away from the river just past the Fonterra dairy plant.

Follow the Te Awa (a combined walk-cycle way) south through Braithwaite Park along the (true left) bank of the Waikato River to just south of (having passed under) the Claudelands Road Bridge. From here, you will travel through the city as follows:

Leave the walkway and take the Centennial Steps up onto Alma Street. Head out past the Novotel Tainui and turn left/southeast into Victoria Street. Almost immediately, turn right (southwest) into Garden Place which is an open-space mall. At the Captain Hamilton bronze statue turn right and walk through Centreplace shopping centre to Ward Street (or if after hours continue through Garden Place past the Hamilton City Council building to the Ward Street/Anglesea Street intersection). Follow Ward Street southwest to the intersection of Ward and Tristram Streets.

Here, walk west through Norris Ward Park and at the far side of the park on Seddon Road. Follow signs onto the Western Rail Trail which runs adjacent to the railway line, past the Hamilton Railway Station to Killarney Road. Walk west along Killarney Road and through the Dinsdale Roundabout to Whatawhata Road on the southwest side.

Follow Whatawhata Road until turning left (south) into Melva Street. At the end of this street is Tills Lookout. 

This walk uses footpaths, back roads & state highway (SH) road margins, pasture and river esplanade.

From the Taitua Arbortum, head west on Taitua Road, turn left/south onto Howden Road and continue straight ahead until it runs into O'Dea Road. At the end of O'Dea Road, continue over the stile - up the steps and onto the track for 2km to Walsh Road. Turn right/north onto Walsh Road and follow this (including a 90-degree turn to the left) out to SH39, turning right/north onto SH39 and walking 1.5km to Whatawhata village, where walkers can get refreshments at the petrol station and tavern.

Walk west on SH23 through the settlement of Whatawhata, over the Waipā River bridge and take the first left (south) into Te Pahū Road. Here you will leave the road to walk on the true left bank of the Waipā River.

Look for a track behind the church, on the river side of the fence, and follow the orange markers. The track runs through pasture and swamp to a footbridge and in some places goes along a farm race - please, always give way to cattle.

This traverse of Pirongia Mountain starts with the Department of Conservation's Nikau Walk - an easy stroll south from the Kāniwhaniwha carpark, following the stream through a forest of plantings. Shortly after leaving the farmland and just before a circular walk through beautiful native forest, you take the Tahuanui Track leading towards the southeast. Here, you will find a picnic/campsite clearing with toilets and the last opportunity for swimming before starting the ascent to the summit.

The Tahuanui Track then climbs steadily up a ridge through stands of tawa to the summit ridge where several tracks converge on the 959m summit of Pirongia. So far, this should have taken roughly 4-5 hours. 30 minutes beyond the summit in a westerly direction is the Pahautea Hut. It is generally a good idea to stay overnight in this hut and continue south the following day.

From the hut, you continue westward on the new Noel Sandford boardwalk, following the Hihikiwi Track with good views to the south. 1km below Hihikiwi Peak and about 600m before Te Akeohikopiro Peak, you take a new spur track heading off in a southwestern direction. Follow this all the way down to Pirongia West Road.

This is a sometimes steep, rough tramping track with some backcountry road walking. Please respect track closure during lambing - 1st August to 1st October each year.

• Potential hazards: Vehicles; Farming operations - Leave gates as you find them; River crossings - never cross flooded rivers - one stream before connection with Ngatapuwae Road is dangerous after heavy rain; Respect private land; No dogs, camping or fires.

From the Omanawa Stream, follow Pirongia West Road in a southerly direction. After 2km, you'll reach the intersection with Pekanui Road. Cross over it and continue south/southwesterly along Te Rauamoa Road. After 5.5km, you'll reach SH 31/Kāwhia Road. Turn southeast (left) and follow it 2.7km and turn southwest (right) into Kaimango Road. Follow Kaimango Road for 7.5km to reach the intersection with Honikiwi Road. Veer west (right) and walk 50m to the small carpark on the south side of the road.

Cross the stile onto a formed farm road and follow the orange markers. Then 2km after the rural airstrip, look out for double orange markers. It is not obvious but the track goes over a stile here (while the farm road continues on) and into a bush track on an old timber trail.

Keep following the orange markers over high point #405 and past #513 – Ōmarāma, and through to a woolshed near the north end of Māhoe Road.

This is a medium-grade tramp, largely on farms and in the bush but includes a small portion of road margin. The track is steep sometimes. Expect hills with 150m ascents and descents. It pauses on top of high karsts to gaze across the King Country's low agriculture and tumbled limestone hills that rise to formidable volcanic summits – north to Pirongia, east to Pureora, and south to Ruapehu.

From Waitomo Village, take the Hotel Access Road past the Tavern and School. Before the cattle stop, climb the stile on the LHS and follow the track completed in 2020 along a section of  the Waipa Faultline, which runs north south through the district. Here Limestone  is uplifted on the western side. Cross Fullerton Road you see a stile on the east (lefthand) side.

Cross Fullerton Road, then a  stile, and follow the orange markers SE across open farmland, then up through a small gate and climb a hand-formed track. You'll pass some enormous boulders - these are thought to have come from the Mangakino explosion - some 60km away!
Once up and over the ridge, the track then descends steeply through bush - this is very slippery when wet, do take care - and exits onto more farmland where you'll again follow markers SE along the fenceline, climbing again through bush and onto a ridge. Climb through regenerating bush and the track takes a 90 deg turn towards the west, running through what Te Araroa veterans will remember (fondly?) as the infamous "Te Kuiti Tunnel of Gorse" - now nicely opened up and easily passable.

Exiting the bush, head over a stile and follow the marked fence to the next stile; then continue along the fenceline - now on the other side of it - and drop down to a farm race (giving way to any animals found on it). This is the farm of John Were. Look for a stile on the NE (lefthand) side after crossing a farm bridge over a stream and then head for a suspension bridge over the Mangapu River.

Once over the suspension bridge, the track heads through Pehitawa Forest  (Queen Elizabeth II Trust-covenanted land and one of the finest remaining stands of Kahikatea trees). Follow markers up a ridgeline to a fence near the top of the hill and over a stile to Oparure Rd.

The following section is closed for lambing 1 Aug – 1 Oct each year (it can be avoided by taking a detour part way i.e. walking east Oparure Road,South on Highway 3, east onto Te Kumi Station Road and then South on Sommerville drive. A bridge past the bowling club will get you into the main street of Te Kuiti)

Cross over a stile on the southern side of Oparure Rd onto private farmland. At the top of a hill, are 2 stiles separated by a farm race. Just 50m NE of here is a viewing point of historical pohutukawa and holly trees (see information below).

Beyond these stiles, you will cross a bridged stream, another stile and then veer to the west (right). Partly up the next paddock, past a small stand of trees is the next marker & stile onto a farm track. 

On the southern side of the track, cross over another stile to get back onto farmland and head south to trig point 263, then turn sharply E/NE to descend through the  Brook Park Reserve trails. 

From Colin Brook Place, walk 1.5km to Rora st, the centre of Te Kuiti township.

Note two fine statues - a tribute to Sir Colin Meads (one of NZ's finest rugby players) adjacent to the railway station, and the shearing statue at the south end of Rora St.

 West of the Statue Te Tokanganui a noho  can be seen, this historic marae was built in 1873 under the director of the Maori leader and prophet Te Kooti

Conditions

Mangaokewa Reserve Track - 3km / 1 hour

• Potential hazards; Vehicles; Avoid this track when the river is in flood.

From the shearing statue, continue south along Waitete Road for just over 1km, then turn left onto Ahoroa Ford West Road, taking care as it passes through operational areas with heavy vehicles. Head alongside a wire mesh fence then turn right down by the river (without crossing the river).

Follow the Mangaokewa River along, heading upstream. The track skirts the Waitete Sawmill, and Graymont Limeworks (with a furnace producing burnt lime for roadworks, and also producing lime ground for many uses, such as toothpaste and topdressing). You will pass an old cement works, then cross over the river on a vehicle bridge.

Once across the river, the track follows a disused quarry road to an abandoned lime quarry site, with pipeline and wooden towers remnants (limeworks and lime quarrying is a traditional Te Kūiti industry). The track ascends beyond the quarry to an elevation of 100m, with good views back across Te Kūiti and up the valley ahead. (Te Kūiti High School students built the picnic table at this viewpoint, along with the footbridges across the small creeks).

The track enters bush for the last kilometre, passing one pretty waterfall en route. Cross the stream via the suspension bridge to reach Mangaokewa Reserve.

Route

500m east of DOC's Pureora Forest Headquarters is the Ngaherenga campsite, halfway between the two is the entry point to the Timber Trail.

It is recommended you plan to walk between formal accommodation locations on this route - Ngaherenga to Bog Inn Hut (20km), to Piropiro Flats campsite (18km), to #10 campsite (21km), to the campsite at the Ōngarue terminus of the Timber Trail (17km), this will take you four days. Then into Taumarunui the following day (26km). Trail surfacing is good (it is also a cycleway) so faster walkers may like to do big days, however you should be aiming to stay at these locations.

The Timber Trail passes through magnificent podocarp forests of rimu, tōtara, miro, mātai and kahikatea, as well as some exotic forestry and more open vegetation, offering extensive views of the surrounding landscape.

Utilising historic bush tramways, old bulldozer and haul roads, the track features 35 bridges, including 8 large suspension bridges (the longest being 141m) and showcases the historic Ōngarue Spiral, a marvel of engineering.

From Hākiaha Street (SH4) in Taumarunui, head south (Turaki Street and Morero Terrace) to cross the Whanganui River and get onto Hikumutu Road for a long but pleasant walk through the countryside. Follow Hikumutu Road through the small settlement of Hikumutu, past a brief encounter with the Whanganui River, then east to Ōwhango. You'll join Kawautahi Road just before you get to Ōwhango, follow that east 1km to SH4. Then walk north 200m on SH4 and turn right/east into Omatane Road on the southern edge of Ōwhango. Follow Omatane Road, Onga Street and Whakapapa Bush Road to the start of the 42 Traverse. It is 27km from Hākiaha Street in Taumarunui to Ōwhango.

42 Traverse (including Waione/Cokers Track) - 35km / 1.5 days

This track follows the 42 Traverse four-wheel drive road for the first 22km - in wet conditions this can be very muddy/slippery. This branches off along the Waione/Cokers DOC track, then on to Access Road #3 for a short while before a deviation northeast past the historical landmark, Te Pōrere Redoubt, before joining SH47. A further 1.5km north, there is the junction with SH46 where there is accommodation.

(You may choose to walk down the entire 42 Traverse exiting on to SH47 6km further south. If you do so, turn left/north onto SH47 and continue north 9km to reconnect with Te Araroa at the Te Pōrere Redoubt exit onto SH47.)

A 7.5km road walk from the exit of Access Road #3 to the turnoff for the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (a further 1km up to the carpark) is along sealed highway, broken only by a small settlement near the junction of SH46 and SH47 that has some accommodation.