Te Wairoa

Tangaroa parked on the Mahia Peninsula

Wairoa is a sleepy little town at the northern end of Hawke Bay.  The area was historically known as Te Wairoa District, a name that is coming back into use again.  We freedom camped one weekend at the River Parade car park, just by the bridge to the main part of the township.  The weather was very hot and the riversides were full of families cooling off in the water.  At a nearby swimming hole the local kids spent hours jumping into the water from a dead tree.  The few shops in town seemed to be closed in the afternoon—I felt like I'd slipped back to a bygone era.

Lighthouse at Wairoa

            In the late afternoon we shrugged off our indolence and cycled the walkway from the town icon, the lighthouse, to the beach.  The track ran beside the river and at various points there were boulders with information plaques telling the history of the area.  Wairoa has long been a Māori settlement, locals descended from the Tākitimu canoe.  Europeans arrived in 1839 and a mission station was established in 1844.  Along the river were the remains of jetties and wharves once used for transporting flax, wool, meat and dairy products.  Buildings in Wairoa hark back to the boom days of the early twentieth century, some of the shops retain their pretty verandas, but many stand empty.

            An evening stroll took us along the Sir James Carroll track which started at River Parade.  We were in ignorance as to who James Carroll was, but a sign in a large cabbage- tree grove along the track commemorated his birthplace.  Curiosity piqued, we discovered that Sir James was of Irish and Māori descent who, in 1893, was the first Māori to win a general electorate seat.  He twice acted as Prime Minister in the Liberal government and was knighted in 1911.

Local kids having fun by the river

            We stayed in Wairoa for a while with Tangaroa parked in splendid isolation and used the car to travel around.  One day we took the mainly unsealed road (SH 38) north to Lake Waikaremoana in the Te Urewera National Park.  This is the largest forested wilderness area remaining in North Island and there are many walks to enjoy, including the multi-day Lake Waikaremoana Track.  The deep lake, whose Māori name means sea of rippling waters, was formed 2,000 years ago by a huge landslide and is famous for its trout fishing.  

Lake Waikaremoana and Panekire Bluff

            One day we will spend longer at Lake Waikaremoana but on this occasion we just walked some short tracks, mainly through stands of lush native bush.  We parked near the Te Urewera Visitor Centre and walked a two track loop to the waterfalls known collectively as the Ᾱniwaniwa (Rainbow) Falls.  The Hinerau track passed the Bridal Veil Falls, the Momahaki Falls and the lowest waterfall, Te Tangi o Hinerau.   The other track looped along the other side of the river, giving alternative views.  Both these tracks took about 20 minutes to walk. 

Aniwaniwa Falls

            Nearby was the start of the walk to Lake Waikareiti.  This track rose 300 metres, through red and silver birch, with occasional huge rimu trees thrusting through the canopy.  After an hour of uphill walking, the lakeside suddenly appeared, complete with a viewing platform.  There were boats for hire for visitors who want to row out to one of the islands in the lake, Rahui Island.  This island has a small lake and it is, of course, known as 'the lake in the island in the lake'.  Landing is allowed for viewing here but the rest of the islands are protected.     

            We had been awed by the size of the beech and rimu trees on this walk but equally stunning were the rata and tawa on the Tawa Track.  This 30-minute loop track off the Ngamoko Track is worth seeing—but the best surprise was the amazing 1,000 year old rata further along the Ngamoko Track.  One of the biggest rata in New Zealand, it is 13 metres around its base and probably began its life in the forks of a tree that itself was half a century old. 

The 1,000 year old rata

            For more amazing views we checked out Lou's Lookout as we headed back towards Wairoa.  This track wound around and through huge bluffs to a platform with lovely views of Lake Waikaremoana and the Panekire Bluff.  We had seen some stunning scenery in just one day—waterfalls, lakes and some very special trees.

            The Mahia Peninsula was about an hour's drive east of Wairoa.  It was once an island but long ago  sand built up to join the island to the mainland.  Mahia means murmuring, so it was fitting that we freedom camped at Opoutama Beach, where the sea whispered and murmured at our feet. 

            The fishhook shape of the peninsula has led to whales being stranded, and early whalers  set up stations on the coast at Kinikini Point and at Waikokopu (overlooking our camping spot) to take advantage of the right whales who passed the area on their migratory routes.  Waikokopu was established in 1832.  Later a railway line was built from Wairoa to Waikokopu and in the 1920s all the heavy iron work for the Lake Waikaremoana Power Project was loaded here for transport to Wairoa.  It then went inland by a steam powered traction engine and trailer.  The trailer can be seen at Ᾱniwaniwa.   Waikokopu now has only one inhabitant, the uncle of a lady we met repainting a memorial to family members drowned in the bay.  The sea is all important at Mahia.  Whaling has thankfully given way to fishing, diving and surfing.  Fish and seafood are plentiful and we got some great fish and chips from the tavern at Mahia Beach. 

            There are two long, unsealed roads that twist and turn beside precipitous drops en route down the peninsula.  The Mahia East Coast Road  passes through around 15 kilometres of remote farming and forest country.  Kinikini Road goes as far as Long Point in the west with stunning views of the Mahia coastline and Hawke Bay.  The Mahia Reserve is around seven kilometres along Kinikini Road and we stopped there to walk the 1.5-2 hour loop track.  This was a cool, green respite from the dazzling blues of the sea and sky.  The track wound down to a valley floor through dense forests of tawa, rewarewa and rimu.  After crossing and re-crossing a stream, the track went up a spur and along a ridgeline back to the road.

On the Mahia Peninsula

            After this walk we felt in need of rejuvenation so called in to Morere Hot Springs, just north of Mahia on SH 2.  Long known to the Māori, the springs were discovered by Europeans in 1884.  The pools are in a 364-hectare scenic reserve, established in 1895.  The reserve contains some of the last lowland rainforest in the area.  We walked along the Nīkau Track to the plunge pools.  There was previously a bath house at the site—now the three spa pool-size pools, (hot, very hot and freezing) are under a shelter with bush views all around.  The water in the hot pool contained 18 minerals and was a rare example of hot springs that are based on sea water.  The four other visitors and ourselves squeezed into the hot pool and chatted.  This kind of intimacy lends itself to instant friendliness and was a relaxing way to finish an exploration of this quiet corner of eastern New Zealand.

Information about this post - correct at time of writing

Walks

• ·         Sir James Carroll Track

www.visitwairoa.co.nz/see-and-do/walking-and-cycling/sir-james-carroll-walkway

30 min, easy

Access: opposite Vista Motor Lodge, next to Wairoa Bridge,

• ·         Lake Waikaremoana Walks

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/east-coast/places/te-urewera/things-to-do/tracks/lake-waikaremoana-area-short-walks/

Rainbow Falls: 20 min return, easiest: short walk

Hinerau Track:   20 min return, easiest: short walk

Lake Waikareiti Track:  2 hr return, easiest: short walk

Tawa Track:  a 30 minute loop walk at the start of the Ngamoko Track, easy

Access: Te Urewera Visitor Centre, 6249, Lake Rd, SH 38

• ·         Mahia Reserve Walk

4 km loop, advanced: tramping track (though we didn't find it difficult)

Access:  From Mahia Beach drive 7 km up Kikikiki Rd

Cycle Trails

• ·         Wairoa Riverside Walk and Cycleway

www.visitwairoa.co.nz/see-and-do/walking-and-cycling/wairoa-riverside-walk-and-cycleway

Wairoa Lighthouse to Whakamahia Beach, 7.7 km, 1 hour return, easy

Places to visit

• ·         Morere Hot Springs

2, Nuhaka Rd, Morere

http://morerehotsprings.co.nz

Hours: 10.00 am-7.00 pm

Entry price: adult $14, child $7