Awatetaki Pa, Taranaki

Walk #185, Waitangi Day 6th Feb 2026

This pa is ringed on three sides by a high defensive ditch and the Waitara River on the fourth. There’s a second ditch inside the first. The ditches are so well constructed that even now, centuries later it’s still impressive. Food pits called ‘rua’ are still visible, despite being covered by centuries of leaf litter.

The way in is not very welcoming as there’s a screen of kawakawa bushes, but once you’re through it’s easy to walk around. There are karaka trees throughout the site and a big totara tree that would have been growing there when the site was still occupied.

The track begins at a farm on the end of Ngatimaru road. You can park near the farm shed. The track is over farmland marked by an orange trail marker.

Walk: Taranaki 3

History

I don’t know who built the pa – there are no info boards. The only clue is the name of Ngatimaru road.

Ngati Maru.

Ngati Maru descend from an ancient Taranaki people known as the Kāhui-Maru, whose genealogy predates the arrival of the explorer Toi. Kahui means a flock, a name which is only applied to the tangata-whenua people. (Source: Tangata Whenua – The ancient inhabitants of Taranaki)

Ngāti Maru were not involved in the land dealings which led to war in Taranaki in 1860, and were not directly involved in the subsequent fighting. Source: Ngāti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Act 2022

The Musket Wars

Taranaki was a fertile land that was home to 8 Māori tribes before it was devastated by the Waikato invasions that began in 1817. It would be left almost uninhabited for the next seven years before European colonisation began in 1841.

Video: The Devastation of Taranaki

Mount Holdsworth,Wairarapa

Walk #184, 20th January 2026

This walk is tucked into the foothills of the Tararua Ranges.

The video actually covered two walks; the Donnelly’s Flat Loop track which was split on either side of the track to Rocky Lookout.

There has been a bit of storm damage but the track is well maintained. The bush here is beautiful but we didn’t hear many birds.

The Rocky Lookout was excellent, with extensive views of Mount Holdsworth and Atiwhakatu valley.

Right now NZ is experiencing a very dismal summer. We would have stopped for a snack at the viewpoint but it was too cold and exposed to linger.

The highlight of the Donnelly’s loop track were the abundant kidney ferns, some were even growing in trees.

The Mt Holdsworth lookout is further up the Gentle Annie track, we stopped at Rocky Lookout.

Walk: Wairarapa 3

Notes

Further up the Gentle Annie Track is the remains of a pa punanga, a refuge pa. This ridge was a temporary refuge for Maori from the Rangitane tribe to hide from raiding war parties. All that remains are small terraces and basic earthworks

Links

Rocky Lookout

Sledge Track, Kahuterawa Valley

Walk #183, 5th January 2026

The Kahuterawa Valley is located near Palmerston North in the foot of the Tararua Ranges.

We walked the Sledge track in the Kahuterawa Valley with our friend who knows the area. He was very keen to go as far as we could.

Having now walked the track, if you’ve only got a couple of hours I recommend only going as far as the Arapuke Swing Bridge.

From the swing bridge it’s all uphill on a ridge with no views. That part of the track is called “the Elevation.” There are no helpful signs on this section, just a hand-painted sign in red saying “2.8.kms to B.B.”

We had no idea what that stood for, it could have been “Black Bridge,” but that was back the way we came! Further up we came to a fork, which could have been the Toe Toe Junction, leading to some platinum ore mines from the late 1800s and early 1900s. With no signage we didn’t know where or how far it was. We carried on uphill for another 15 minutes and met some people coming back from the platinum mines – which we didn’t have the time budget for, so we went back the way we came.

The track is semi-maintained. I give it three stars because of the lack of signage and bush bashing.

Walk: Manawatu 25

Links

Palmy: Sledge Track and Harding’s Park loops

History

One of the earliest European owners of the land was the Wellington – Manawatu Railway Company, which named the area the Fitzherbert Block.

The valley was also known for platinum prospecting starting around 1875, although commercial mining was never established.

There are places on the track named after the first european settlers.
Bush Section in the Kahuterawa Valley
Montage of Kahuterawa Valley Life

Omanawa Falls, Tauranga

Walk #182, 20th December 2025

This is the prettiest waterfall I have ever seen. A weir above the falls diverts some of the river through a power station so the falls are greatly diminished from their original power. Even so the area has still maintained its natural beauty.

Omanawa Falls was the first underground hydro-generating power station in the country and entire southern hemisphere. It was constructed in 1913-1915 for the city of Tauranga, which at that time had a population of around 1500 people .

Ngati Hangarau, the tribe who are kaitieke (guardians) of the area hold the river and falls as a sacred place.

There are three different viewpoints. We saw the falls from two of the lookouts but didn’t do the third, the Te Harikoa Lookout at the base of the falls. It would have taken an extra 662 stairs and 40 minutes; time we didn’t have.

What we did see was wonderful, a single drop waterfall in front of a cave, surrounded by native bush with the water splashing into a sapphire coloured pool.

As well as native birds the pekapeka, long tailed bats, have been recorded flying around the Omanawa Valley.

There’s a cafe at the car parking area near the start of the track.

Walk: Bay of Plenty 9

McClaren Falls is nearby.

Related walk

McClaren Falls

Links

The earliest people known to have lived in the Tauranga area are the Purukupenga, whose name alone survives, and the Ngamarama, who inhabited all the land from the Waimapu Stream to the Kaimai ranges. So numerous were these people that when the Tainui canoe passed through the Tauranga harbour, she made only a brief stay.
Source: Tauranga Local History

Ngati Hangarau, the guardians of the area, are a sub-tribe of Ngati Ranginui of the Takitimu canoe.

Omanawa Falls

Ngāti Hangarau Hapū Trust Chair Koro Nicholas
explains Te Toka Mauri stone at Te Rere o Ōmanawa –
Ōmanawa Falls site blessing.

Source: Tauranga City, Reopening of Te Rere o Ōmanawa, or, Ōmanawa Falls, 2023 (Event)

Twin Craters / Ngahopua Track, Lake Okataina, Rotorua Lakes

Walk #180, 17th Dec 2025

This walk is near Lake Okataina in the Rotorua Lakes area. The track follows a crater rim and leads to views over two lakes, Lakes Rotongata and Rotoatua. The views are better away from the viewing area.

I give it 3 stars because the views in most part are blocked by trees.

Walk: Rotorua 30

Related walk:

Lake Okataina

Links

Ngahopua Track (Twin Lakes Track)

I recommend the Te Auheke Track (Cascades Track) instead.

The NZ Motor Caravan site provides this helpful info:

Time: 40 min loop
Distance: 1.5 km

The track passes a sheer cliff face which is covered with moss and ferns. At night, thousands of glow worms can be seen. The picturesque Cascade Falls (around 10 m high) pour water over and around many rock protrusions and inspired the track’s name: Te Auheke means ‘tumbling water’.

Getting there: Start at the back of the field behind the Outdoor Education Centre.

Maungatautiri Ecological Island, Waikato

Walk #169, 23rd May 2025

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is an ancient volcano in the central Waikato. It’s the largest predator-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world.

The mountain has been recognised as a reserve since 1912. In 2001, the community came together to form the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) with the goal to restore and protect Maungatautari’s ecosystem. In 2002, the fence build got under way and by 2004 all mammals were eradicated from the initial two enclosures. The mountain is now completely enclosed by a pest-proof fence.

Our walk was through the Northern enclosure. We didn’t hear any birds, they are spread out over 3400 hectares and the forest is very old and tall. The only native bird we did see was a Kingfisher (Kotare) sitting on a fence post on our way in.

You have to park your car at the Maungatautiri Marae and walk for about 45 minutes to get to the actual walk, and the last part is steep. There’s a rope to help you up if needed. The walk inside the enclosure is about 35 minutes. So budget about two hours of time for the walk including the ‘there and back.’

History

The area has a long history of settlement. The first inhabitants, the indigenous Ngāti Kahupungapunga people, were annihilated by the Maori Raukawa tribe before the 16th century. The Tainui tribes Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Korokī still own lands on the slopes.

Walk: Waikato 10

Links

Te Ara, Story: Waikato places

Sanctuary Mountain, Maungatautiri

…..

“We are the largest predator-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world. A little fun fact: We are as big as Uluru in Australia and 10 times the size of Central Park [in New York],” SMM general manager Helen Hughes said.

Over the years, Maungatautari has become a sanctuary for endangered birds, native wildlife and plants.

Last year, SMM wrote history when it became home to a kākāpō population. It was the first time, kākāpō had been living on the mainland in 40 years.” Source: Waikato Herald, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari on the brink of closure due to financial struggle

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Kingfisher / Kotare

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Ngati Kahupungapunga | Some 400 years ago, they occupied all of the valley of the Waikato from Huntly to Taupo and Rotorua. They had many settlements along the Waikato River, including Karapiro.

Related walks:

Lake Okataina, Rotorua Lakes District

Mount Pohaturoa, Atiamuri

Hakarimata Reserve, Huntly

Pelorus Bridge, Marlborough

Walk #5, 23rd April 2025

Pelorus Bridge, at the junction of the Rai and Pelorous Rivers, is a small island of native bush which escaped the axe because a town was planned for the site. It was soon recognised as a beauty spot and in 1912 it became a scenic reserve.

The site was used as a film location for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Sceenit: Pelorus River
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The juction of the Pelorus and Rai rivers was an old Maori trail. There had been a small kainga (village) in the area which was abandoned during the bitter fighting of the Maori Musket Wars. By the time Europeans arrived the area was largely uninhabited.

Walk: Havelock 17

North Egmont, Taranaki

Walks #165-167, 20th March 2025

There are four short walks around the North Egmont Visitor Centre.

The Nature Walk led on to the Ngatoro Loop Walk, a walk through sub-montane forest called “the Goblin Forest.” The ferns and mosses flourish because of the high rainfall.

Just behind the Visitor Centre is a historic camphouse, which was originally a military barracks during the land wars in the 1860s. It was moved to the site in the 1880s.

After lunch we did the Veronica Loop Track.

Before going uphill we passed the Ambury memorial, a memorial to climber Arthur Ambury who gave his life in 1918 in a heroic attempt to save his climbing partner.

The Veronica Loop track is a well-formed track. It goes up the mountain for half an hour and then there’s a junction for Holly Hut. The return walk via the loop track is harder.

Holly Hut Lookout

At the junction of the Holly Hut track, there’s a lookout ten minutes further up the mountain. We chose not to do it because of the lack of visibility.

There were no birds to be heard on either track, the forests were silent.

The trees are sub-alpine Totara (the red bark) and Kamahi. The trees with spiky fronds are Cabbage trees, the Maori call them ‘Toi.’

Walk: Taranaki 9

History

Te Kāhui Maunga, the ancient people of the mountains

The earliest ancestors of the Taranaki people were Te Kāhui Maunga – the people of the mountains.

Mt Taranaki was named after Rua Taranaki, the first in a line of chiefs.

Te Ara: Taranaki Tribe.

Related Walks

Dawson Falls Walks, Taranaki

Paritutu Rock, New Plymouth

Links

North Egmont Walks

Ambury Monument Walk

NZ Topo Map

Mangatoro Reserve

Walk: #160, 20th Feb 2025

The Mangatoro Scenic Reserve is just down the Ngapaeruru Road, 11 km from Dannevirke along the Weber Road. This is a 8 hectare reserve that contains some good sized kahikatea as well as matai, totara and rimu.

There’s supposed to be a giant Totara, said to be one of the largest in New Zealand. We didn’t see it. The reserve is not well looked after. There were no native birds to be heard, only magpies. The trail had not been maintained. The walk by the stream was overgrown with creepers, forcing us to go back the way we came. There was a tree over one of the paths. There had been no trapping in the reserve but it’s probably too small for the native birds anyway.

The reserve badly needs kaitiake (guardians) and maintenance.

Walk: Hawkes Bay 35

Links

Tararua.com : Mangatoro Scenic Reserve

Broken Hills: Collins Drive

Walk #156, 30th January 2025

This is an old gold mining area. Several tracks zigzag up the hills following an old water race up to Collins Drive, a 500m tunnel much further up the hill. I read on one site that the tunnel was created as an access through steep country. The Dept of Conservation said the tunnel was driven through the hill in a fruitless attempt to find a quartz reef with payable ore.

The walk was hard, a series of big climbs on a very hot day. The tunnel was tthe highlight. The overgrown viewpoints are disappointing.

Walk: Coromandel 20

Related walk

Broken Hills Walks 19th April 2019

Links

Doc: Collins Drive Loop

Doc: Broken Hills area