Category Archives: Walks

Wetlands at Awakaponga and Matata

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The National Wetland Trust is a non­profit organisation established in 1999 to increase the appreciation of wetlands and their values by all New Zealanders. On their Wetland Trails page there are links to download information sheets on wetland trails in Southland, Whangamarino, and Bay of Plenty. Some of the locations in the Bay of Plenty information sheet have already been covered on this site. This post covers the Awakaponga Wildlife Management Reserve and Matata Lagoon walks.

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Te Otamanui Walkway, Te Kowhai

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Te Otamanui Walkway in the village of Te Kowhai, north-west of Hamilton, follows alongside Te Kowhai Stream through a valley to Te Otamanui Lagoon. The first part of the walkway was opened in 2015 and later parts in 2017. Limited information about the walkway is available on various web sites, including Waikato District Council and a .pdf file at Waikato Regional Council. The walkway with plantings has been constructed by volunteer labour, principally funded by Waikato District Council and Te Kowhai community.

Currently the walkway is about 2.4 km long, with an additional approximately 0.5 km of side tracks leading to and from public roads. It is the intention to continue the walkway further north to the Waipa River, making it about 6 to 10 km long. The walkway has a stone chip gravel surface, with no steps, and only gentle inclines. There are boardwalks across wetter areas, and a bridge over Te Kowhai Stream on the side track to Bedford Rd. The main entrance is off Horotiu Rd by the intersection with Bedford Rd, almost directly across from Te Kowhai School carpark.

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Lake Rotopiko, Ohaupo – Te Awamutu

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The National Wetland Trust is developing a National Wetland Discovery Centre at Lake Serpentine/Lake Rotopiko next to Ohaupo Road/SH3 between Ohaupo and Te Awamutu. An area of about 9.5 hectares, including Lake Rotopiko and a wetland forest area, is enclosed in predator-proof fence. There is a well-formed track encircling Lake Rotopiko with some activities for children along the way, and a track through the kahikatea forest adjacent to the lake. The Department of Conservation is also involved, together with the Toyota Kiwi Guardians organisation.

A parking area for visitors to Lake Rotopiko is accessible directly off Ohaupo Rd/SH3, but due to a wire rope median barrier the access is only for vehicles travelling south from Ohaupo. The entry, through a gate which is closed at night, is unmarked and is located between McFall Rd and Jary Rd. There is a turning bay on Jary Rd for those heading north after a visit to Lake Rotopiko, as only a left turn is possible when leaving the carpark.

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Kotukutuku Gully, Maketu

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The walking track through the Kotukutuku Gully is a short walking track, about 600 metres long, running parallel to Little Waihi Road between Hapimana Road and Whenuariri/Kiokio Places. The track is well formed, with steps at and near the eastern end only. The gully has historical significance, and the restoration work has been done by volunteers with planting of native plant species throughout the gully. There are no designated parking areas by the track end points, but it is possible to park a few vehicles by the Hapimana Road entrance.

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Mount Tarawera

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Mount Tarawera is a volcano in the Rotorua area, part of a chain of volcanoes stretching from Whakaari/White Island in the north, to Ruapehu in the south. It was the site of the largest and most deadly eruption in New Zealand in at least the last 250 years. It erupted in the early hours of June 10, 1886, causing the death of about 120 people and leaving a layer of ash and mud over a large area. Details of the eruption can be found on the New Zealand History web site, and on Wikipedia.

One of the tribes or iwi displaced from the area by the eruption, Ngati Rangitihi, are now guardians or kaitiaki of the mountain, and access to the summit is restricted. Ngati Rangitihi marae is located at Matata, and there are Ngati Rangitihi farmlands at Rerewhakaaitu, near the base of Mt Tarawera.

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Old Reservoir Road, Paeroa

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Old Reservoir Road off SH2 about 1.5 km east of Paeroa is a short road, partly tarsealed, and partly a narrow gravel road. At the north-eastern end of the formed road an old ‘paper road’ continues on from a locked gate and past the old water reservoir dam. The road has once been drivable as far as the dam, but from there it continues on as an unmarked tramping track. The track does not entirely follow the paper road, which apparently continues all the way to Waitekauri Road, and there are no indications that it has ever been formed as a road.

This walk only covers about 2.5 km of the track, starting at the current formed end of Old Reservoir Road, past the old reservoir dam and a small lake to an old tin shed or hut before returning. Being unmarked the track was difficult to find in places, although there were signs that it is still being used as a tramping track. From the dam the track rises quite steeply with an initial elevation about 40 metres above sea level and with the highest points about 315 metres a.s.l.

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Papamoa Hills – Te Rae o Papamoa Track

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Although most of Te Rae o Papamoa Track in the Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park has been covered in a previous post an interesting extension to the track is now shown on some of the information panels within the park. It provides an alternative to the Karangaumu Summit Track for a walk to the summit, and since it can easily connect to the Valley and Puriri Tracks and on to Maraeroa Track it can provide a longer and more varied walk within the park area.

This walk, which starts at the carpark on Poplar Lane off Te Puke Highway, takes the Karangaumu Summit Track up to the start of Te Rae o Papamoa Track, then follows this track and a service road up to the summit. On the way back it branches off at the Papamoa Pa site and follows the longer route back to the service road and the track back to the carpark. A total distance of about 7 km for a total time of 2 hours including time to visit the pa sites along the way.

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Papamoa Hills – Maraeroa, Valley and Puriri Tracks

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There are a number of walking tracks in the Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park near Tauranga, but several of these are currently unmarked and only shown on aerial photos at various locations within the park. One of the longest and most varied of these tracks, the Maraeroa Track, is only shown on the information panel by the carpark on Poplar Lane, off Te Puke Highway (the old SH2). The most used track is the Karangaumu Summit Track, and the lower part of this track also provides access to the other tracks within the park.

The tracks described here are the Maraeroa , Valley and Puriri tracks. Maraeroa Track branches off the summit track and returns to the summit track about 150 metres further up. Valley Track and Puriri Track branch off Maraeroa Track and can also connect with Te Rae O Papamoa Track. For an older description of the summit track and part of Te Rae O Papamoa Track see the previous post Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park.

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Te Ara O Wairakei, Papamoa East

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Te Ara O Wairakei in Papamoa, also known as the Papamoa Drainage Reserve or Papamoa Stormwater Reserve, is a collection of reserves in Papamoa running parallel with the oceanfront, with cycleways/walkways running through them. Currently Te Ara O Wairakei is divided into two completely separate parts. The longer part runs for about 6 km from near Parton Road to Pacific View Road. The shorter part in Papamoa East runs for about 1.5 km from near Mandalay Key to Gibson Place.

The part from Parton Road to Pacific View Road has been described in two previous posts – Papamoa Beach, Wairakei, Topaz Drive Reserves and Papamoa Drainage Reserve – Domain Rd to Pacific View Rd before the name change to Te Ara O Wairakei. This post describes the separate part of Te Ara O Wairakei in Papamoa East.

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Lake Kainui, Horsham Downs

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Lake Kainui is a peat lake of about 25 hectares in the Horsham Downs area of Waikato, east of Ngaruawahia and north of Hamilton. It is one of a series of lakes in the area, and is also known as Lake D or Lake Rotoaira. Lakes A, B and C are nearby. A walkway around the lake was opened in 2018, and public access to the lake itself and Lake Kainui Reserve was arranged by the Waikato District Council. A short access road off Lake Road leads to a parking area and the reserve. There is also a boat ramp and a toilet.

Various activities are permitted in the reserve and on the lake, but some activities require a permit and access to the boat ramp requires a key. The reserve may be closed to the public in May, during the duck shooting season. The walkway around the perimeter of the lake is about 3.1 km long, mostly well formed with a gravel surface, although there are also areas of grass. There are no steps and only the gentlest of gradients, with an elevation difference of only a metre or two along the entire track.

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