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

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“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

Edwards Lookout, Kauaeranga Valley, Coromandel

Walk #155, 29th January 2025

The walk is located in the Coromandel Forest Park and Kauaeranga Valley, up the road from the Doc Kauaeranga Visitor Centre. You get a good view of the ranges and Kauaeranga Valley from the lookout.

The forest was silent, I only heard one bird. Doc is using poison instead of traps to control the pests.

Related walks:

Kauaeranga Model Dam

Kauaeranga Valley, Hoffmans Pool

Links

Edwards Lookout

Kauaeranga Visitor Centre

Square Kauri, Coromandel

Walk #154, 29th January 2025

This magnificent Kauri escaped the axe because of its unusually square shaped trunk. It’s a short but steep climb to the tree. There’s a good view of the Coromandel mountain ranges from the platform.

Walk: Coromandel 3

Links

Doc, Square Kauri Tree

Mount Maumaupaki

Tapu-Coroglen Road

Waiau Kauri Grove and Waterfall, Coromandel

Walk #153, 29th January 2025

This is a small grove of tall Kauri that escaped the axe. There’s also an unusual double-trunked Kauri, from two seedlings fused together. And if that isn’t enough beauty, there’s a small waterfall and pool about 500m down the gravel road. You have to drive past it to get to the grove.

Walk: Coromandel 3

Links

Waiau Kauri Grove and Waterfall

Doc – Waiau Falls and Kauri Grove Lookout Walk

Yarndley’s Bush, Waikato

Walk #142, 6th December 2024

This small patch of bush near Te Awamutu is a tiny remnant of the Kahikatea forests that once covered the Waikato Basin. From the sign on the walk I read that today only 3.5% of the forests remain. There are 4922 forest fragments. A few are larger areas, but most are less than 25 hectares.

The only birds in the reserve are the more common tui, fantail and grey warbler.

The Kahikatea, more like a pine tree with its straight white trunk, was named “white pine.” It wasn’t any good for house timber, instead the wood was used for things like butter boxes.

Walk: Waikato 24

Links

Yarndley’s Bush, Te Awamutu