| Walkways | |
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| The South Taranaki District has many outstanding walkways through its famous scenic parks and reserves. The walkways will give you first-hand experience of some of the most breathtaking scenery in New Zealand. Many offer outstanding views of fabulous Mt Taranaki. Details of a number of significant points of interest are listed for you on this page. For further information about walkways in the South Taranaki district and getting to the mountain, please contact: |
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SOUTH TARANAKI i-SITE VISITOR CENTRE |  |
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55 High Street Hawera Contacts: Fiona Greenhill Phone: 06 278 8599 Fax: 06 278 6599 Email: visitorinfo@stdc.govt.nz |
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THE OPUNAKE WALKWAY | |
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The Opunake walkway is the longest of the formal South Taranaki walks. It runs from Opunake Lake to Te Namu Pa. There are comprehensive maps for your information at either end of the walk. The Te Namu Pa map is by the entrance to the Opunake Cemetery Heritage wall. Along this walk, you will find many points of great historic and environmental interest. These include:
Opunake Lake. The lake is used to provide hydroelectricity. It was once a vegetable garden used to supply the Armed Constabulary and early settlers. There are public toilets at this stop for your use. Armed Constabulary Cemetery. The cemetery is located on the headland that juts into the lake. It has four historic headstones. The perimeters of the cemetery are unknown but some cairns help estimate the cemetery boundaries. Orimupiko Cemetery. This cemetery is adjacent to the entrance to the Armed Constabulary Cemetery. It is located on a former Pa site. Waiaua River Mouth. This is a must-stop location - it will offer you extraordinary views of Taranaki's dynamic coastline. The Cottage Hospital. The hospital has an amazing history for New Zealanders. It was the birthplace of Peter Snell, Don and Ian Clarke and Graham Mourie. Opunake Beach. The Riviera of South Taranaki is an outstanding, natural surf attraction that draws visitors and surfers from all over the world. A motorcamp and playground are available. The beach was also recently upgraded to offer barbecues and picnic sites for everyone's use. The Lion's Lookout. The lookout is located next to the ramp by the old wharf and offers clear views of the Taranaki Bight. Middleton Bay. Middleton Bay has a boat ramp for easy launching. (This is not a safe beach for swimming, though, so please take care!) Te Namu Pa. The Pa is an extremely important site in Taranaki. It was the location of a famous battle where Wiremu Kingi Matakatea repelled 800 Waikato Maori and successfully withstood a month-long siege armed with a single rifle. The best access to the site is via the Opunake Cemetery and then over the Otahi stream. The Te Namu Pa is on private property but visitors are welcome to pass through the site. The owners and the Historic Places Trust ask that the area be treated with care and respect. The entire walk takes a little over four hours but individual points of interest can be visited. Free brochures on the site are available from the South Taranaki i-SITE Visitor Centre or your nearest library. |
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LAKE ROTOKARE WALKWAY | |
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Lake Rotokare is one of the district's extraordinary attractions. To get to the lake walkway, travel east down King Edward Street in Eltham for approximately ten minutes and turn right onto Sangster Road. The walkway starts at the carpark and loops around the lake. The walk is flat all the way around. There are some muddy areas as the lake is spring-fed so good walking footwear is important!
There are many species of birds around the lake - this is an important stopover for many different species of migrating birds. Allow approximately an hour and a half for the walk - and a bit more if you want to take in the fabulous birdlife. |
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HAWERA PARK-TO-PARK WALK | |
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The Hawera Park-To-Park walkway takes in beautiful King Edward Park with its manicured lawns, rose gardens, playgrounds and lake. The walk then leads you through the Hawera CBD through to the noted Naumai Park. Naumai Park is noted as an Ark of native fauna. From end to end, the walk takes about half an hour, so come through and enjoy! | ||
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PATEA DAM WALKWAY | |
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To get to the Patea Dam, take Ball Road (five minutes north of Patea or ten minutes south of Hawera) and travel east. The drive takes about 40 minutes and is mostly on unsealed road. The beautiful dam walkway starts on the top of the dam and heads in a large loop around an isthmus in the lake. It is steep in places, so firm footwear is essential. Make sure you take lunch and plenty of fluids as well! | ||
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PATEA RIVER HISTORIC WALKWAY | |
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The Patea River Historic Walkway leads from the Patea Beach and follows the river up to York Street with several interesting historical sites along the way. The walk can be started at either end and if you finish at the beach you can enjoy a meal using one of the free electronic barbeques in the picnic area. Toilets are available at the beach.
Route Description: Leaving from the boat ramp on Turi Street the walkway leads alongside the river through pastureland and pine forest. A series of seven illustrated signs outline significant points of interest dating back to the 1860s. Main features are stories from the Patea wharf and port, the meat industry, Wai o Turi Marae, Haere Hae Pa and Dawsons Redoubt. The signs feature historical photographs and watercolours from the South Taranaki District Museum archives as well as illustrations from award winning New Zealand botanical artist Audrey Eagle. If entering the walkway from the York Street entry there is a steep climb which can be muddy and slippery in wet weather. |
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GREAT WALKWAYS | |
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• | Opunake Walks | |
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• | Lake Rotokare | |
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• | Hawera 'park to park' | |
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• | Patea dam | |
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• | Patea river | |
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• | Back to Service listings | |
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