© Lonely Planet Publications 65 Central North Island In the centre of the North Island, south of Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula but north of the Tararuas and Ruahines, are several areas that that have long appealed to trampers. To the east, in the Te Urewera region, is the Whirinaki Forest, Whakatane River and the CENTRAL NORTH beautiful Lake Waikaremoana. Whirinaki features one of the most impressive forests in the North Island – lush, green, tall and native. Whakatane offers a tramp along a river steeped ISLAND in Maori lore and peppered with large trout. Skirting the shoreline of Lake Waikaremoana is a scenic track that is one of New Zealand’s most popular Great Walks. In heart of the North Island is Tongariro National Park, and the remote, little-explored Kaimanawa Range. As a tramp through stunning alpine scenery, the Tongariro Northern Circuit – particularly the Tongariro Crossing – rivals some of its more illustrious cousins in the South Island. For a remote and wilderness-like setting, the Urchin-Umukarikari Circuit in Kaimanawa Forest Park does the same. More than anything, diversity of landscape is the trademark of this region. Tramp enough tracks and the scenery will change from the rippling waters of one of the largest lakes in the North Island, to bubbling hot springs and volcanoes; from stands of giant red beech and rimu to alpine gravel fields; from glaciers to the only desert in New Zealand. And all are easily experienced wearing boots and hauling a backpack. HIGHLIGHTS Watching the early morning mist rise off Lake Waikaremoana ( p72 ) from Panekiri Hut on the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Exploring the large glow-worm cave ( p81 ) on the Whirinaki Track Peering into steaming craters, vivid lakes and hot springs on the Tongariro Northern Circuit ( p85 ) Viewing the Tongariro volcanoes from the Urchin-Umukarikari Circuit ( p92 ) TELEPHONE CODE: 07 & 06 www.lakeauponz.com www.nationalpark.co.nz 66 CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND •• Taupo www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com TE UREWERA NATIONAL PARK •• History 67 Central North Island 0 50 km Central North Island 0 30 miles Taupo’s most central camping ground and is Centre (%378 9032; 16 Gascoigne St). The centre Te Aroha located in a pleasant area along the Waikato also sells tickets for trains (including the Katikati ᎊᎊ Central North Island – Maps River. TranzAlpine) and the Interislander ferry. Taupiri Cape Runaway Tatuanui Mt Maunganui 1 Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk p71 Whangaparaoa Bay (%377 4545; www.tikilodge.co.nz; (%09-623 1503; www.inntercitycoach.co.nz) 2 Whakatane-Waikare River Loop p76 Tiki Lodge InterCity Morrinsville Waihau Bay Kaimai Mamaku Papamoa Beach 3 Whirinaki Track p80 104 Tuwharetoa St; dm $24, s/d $35/70; is) is has daily buses to Turangi ($21, one hour), Forest Park Tauranga 4 Tongariro Northern Circuit p88 HAMILTON Matamata Te Puke 5 Urchin-Umukarikari Circuit p93 the newest backpacker lodge in Taupo, a Auckland ($52, 4½ hours), Rotorua ($28, SH35 friendly, Maori-themed hostel with a huge one hour) and Hastings ($43, two hours). Ohaupo SH1 Matata Piarere Rotoehu Raukumara kitchen, TV and reading lounges and a view Alpine Scenic Tours (%378 7412; www.alpinescenic Forest Forest Park Te Awamutu WHAKATANE Tirau Lake Hawai of the lake from the balcony. tours.co.nz) has a Taupo–Turangi run (return Pirongia Rotorua Edgecumbe Putaruru SH5 Opape Tihiroa Go Global (%0800-4645 6225, 377 0044; www $35, one hour). Mamaku Te Teko Opotiki Taneatua .go-global.co.nz; cnr Tongariro & Tuwharetoa Sts; dm/d Whakatane River Kawerau CENTRAL NORTH Rotorua SH2 Toatoa Otorohanga Ruatoki $22/55) is a party backpacker lodge on top Tokoroa Te Waiti Hill Hangatiki Kinleith Te Whakaumu North (1101m) SH38 of an Irish pub. ISLAND Waipapa (765m) TE UREWERA Forest Ngakuru Motu Te Kuiti Rainbow Lodge (%07-378 5754; www.rainbow Mangakino Waiotapu SH4 Pureora Lake Matawai lodge.co.nz; 99 Titiraupenga St; dm/d $21/58) is a NATIONAL PARK Forest Park o Ohakuri 2 Whatatutu ISLAND SH1 SH2 popular backpacker lodge away from the Arataki Golden Springs Murupara Te Urewera Mokai National Park city centre with clean spacious rooms, a Te Urewera National Park has rugged ter- Mapiu Pureora SH5 Te Whaiti CENTRAL NORTH (1165m) Maungapohatu Ormond sauna, free luggage storage and tramping rain, beautiful lakes and crystal-clear trout Tihoi Wairakei (1366m) Pureora Minginui Ruatahuna gear for hire. streams, but it is the forests that set this wil- Forest Park Taupo 3 Gisborne Taupo is packed with motels, especially derness apart and capture the imagination. Whirinaki 1 Okahukura Lake Forest Park Taupo along the lake. A block from the lake is Sun- The 55-sq-km Lake Waikaremoana ( Sea Whakapunake Muriwai Iwitahi Lake Tuai court Motor Inn (%0800-786 268, 378 8265; www See Southern North SH1 (961m) of Rippling Waters) is by far the most popu- Island Map (p97) Mt Iringa Waikaremoana Wharerata .suncourt.co.nz; 14 Northcroft St; s & d $99-145; is) lar section of the national park, and is the (1241m) SH38 State Forest Owhango Turangi SH5 SH4 Frasertown SH2 with 52 large, comfortable rooms and a spa. centrepiece for Te Urewera’s most scenic and Kaitieke 4 5 Lakeside motels tend to be more upscale, popular tramp – the Lake Waikaremoana Wairoa Raurimu Mt Tongariro (1967m) Te Nuhaka Mahia such as the Cove (%378 7599; www.thecove.co.nz; Great Walk. Mt Ngauruhoe (2291m) Haroto Putorino National Park SH2 Tongariro Whakapapa Kaimanawa 213 Lake Tce; d/ste $165/285; is), with lake- The main access road through Te Ure- Village Mahia National Park Forest Park Te Pohue Peninsula Kaweka view rooms, balconies and dining in one wera is SH38, which connects Rotorua to Horopito Mt Ruapehu Forest Park (2797m) Tangoio Hawke Bay of Taupo’s finest restaurants. Rates include Wairoa on the east coast. The predomi- Ohakune Tangoio Falls breakfast. nantly unsealed road curves and winds Raetihi Scenic Reserve Waiouru Tuwharetoa and Heu Heu Sts are the its way through the park’s mountainous Napier Moawhengo Otamauri SH4 Erewhon Taradale main dining areas. Hell (%377 8181; 30 Tu- interior, and then goes around the east- SH1 wharetoa St; h5-9pm Mon, 5-10pm Tue, 4-10pm Sun, Kakatahi ern shore of Lake Waikaremoana, which Taihape Cape Hastings Kidnappers Wed & Thu, 4-11pm Fri & Sat) has great pizza, big is bordered to the south by the towering Utiku Ruahine SH50 Forest Park Te Mata salads and pasta. Panekiri Bluff. Mangaweka Peak (399m) Opapa Mangamahu Ohingaiti Ruahine Tikokino Plateau Bar & Restaurant (%377 2425; 64 Tu- The northern part of the park, above SH2 Waimarama wharetoa St; h11.30am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-10pm SH38, is more remote. It is characterised Sat & Sun) is an excellent restaurant with a by the long valleys of the Whakatane and GATEWAY Taupo visitor information centre (%376 0027; www range of pasta, steak and seafood. Waimana Rivers, which flow into the Bay Taupo .laketauponz.com; 30 Tongariro St) Next to the Super Great places for breakfast, a light meal of Plenty. %07 / pop 21,040 Loo (large shower and toilet complex), this or a coffee are Replete Food Company (%378 Apart from the huts along the Lake On the northeastern corner of Lake Taupo, centre can book accommodation, arrange 0606; 45 Heu Heu St; breakfast & lunch $5-12; h6am- Waikaremoana Great Walk, all huts in the this relaxed resort has views across the lake bus transport, has DOC information and 3pm) and Take-A-Break Café (%377 0041; 38 Heu national park are Standard ($5) or free; to the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National brochures, and sells maps and hut passes. Heu St; h8.30am-4pm). there are more than 40 of them. Park. Taupo is the geographical centre of the North Island, lying halfway between SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT GETTING THERE & AWAY HISTORY Auckland and Wellington. Supplies, equip- The best place for tramping gear, stove fuel Air New Zealand Link (%0800-737 000; www.air Maori legend says human settlement in Te ment and a little late-night R&R can all be and freeze-dried food is the Great Outdoors newzealand.co.nz) has direct flights to Auckland Urewera began when Hine-Pokohu-Rangi secured in Taupo. Centre (%378 6628; 29 Heu Heu St; h8.30am-5pm). ($120) and Wellington ($135). In Taupo, (the Mist Maiden) married Te Maunga (a Nearby is Pak’nSave (%376-0999; cnr Ruapehu & ticketing is handled through travel agen- mountain), producing the fierce Tuhoe INFORMATION Tamamutu Sts). cies, including House of Travel (%377 2700; 37 tribe (the Children of Mist). Genealogical DOC Taupo Field Centre (%378 3885; 155 Centennial Horomatangi St). evidence places the arrival of the Tuhoe Dr) North of the city centre, but not regularly staffed. You SLEEPING & EATING Long-distance buses, including Inter- at around AD 1350. Tuhoe people evolved are better off going to the visitor centre or ringing the DOC Taupo Motor Camp (%377 3080; www.taupomotor City, Newmans and Alpine Scenic Tours, into fierce warriors, hardened by difficult Tongariro/Taupo Conservancy Office ( p85 ). camp.co.nz; 15 Redoubt St; sites for 2 $26, cabins $44) is arrive at and depart from Taupo Travel lives, and they resisted European invasion 68 TE UREWERA NATIONAL PARK •• Environment www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com TE UREWERA NATIONAL PARK •• Climate 69 and influence long after other areas were its involvement in the war by agreeing to Te Urewera’s rivers and lakes offer some ACCESS TOWNS settled and tamed. swear allegiance to the Crown. Te Kooti, of New Zealand’s finest rainbow trout fish- Murupara The Tuhoe settled the rugged interior of however, refused and the rebel leader es- ing. There is good fly fishing for brown trout %07 / pop 1900 Te Urewera, but not around Lake Waikare- caped once more to King Country, around from the shore on the Lake Waikaremoana If arriving in Te Urewera from Rotorua moana.