& THE . 215 Te Aroha Maungatautari (life force) flows (life Lord of the Rings Hamilton mauri Caves www.kingcountry.co.nz www.kingcountry.co.nz Raglan „ Kawhia

Kawhia Kawhia Waitomo Waitomo www.waikatonz.co.nz www.waikatonz.co.nz „ west coast ( p223 ) ( p229 ) Raglan ( p235 ) ( p222 ) ( p233 ) ( p236 ) Maungatautari Caves sand beach on the rugged ( p240 ) Kai Festival Aroha Te Hamilton at hanging-ten at hanging-ten your own bush-framed black- Discovering at the out on Maori culture Pigging of and thermal waters Soaking in ‘the love’ Plotting a pub crawl in surprisingly buzzy Tramping through an inland island paradise Seeking thrills in the subterranean crowd while with the bronzed Hanging TELEPHONE CODE: 07 07 TELEPHONE CODE:

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS „ „

But this veneer of conspicuous Englishness only partly disguises another reality. Move over over only partly of conspicuous Englishness Move But this veneer reality. disguises another dichotomy. genteel/free-wheeling area’s the first-hand Today’s visitors can experience It’s the Waikato been cre- that symbolises this best – in places idyllic lakes have River „ If the colour green had a homeland this would be it. Verdant fields give way to rolling hills in way to rolling hills fields give this would be it. Verdant had a homeland green If the colour Eng- from southern Visitors Waikato. the river, mightiest ’s the countryside around home, especially in quaint towns like leaving Cambridge they bothered land might wonder why country’. It’s little wonder that Peter the ‘mother effort every has been made to replicate where adaptation of Jackson chose the Waikato in his movie as the bucolic Shire Waikato & the & the Waikato King Country joined with others to tribes powerful This country. related coalition of hobbits, this is Tainui Although the fertile elect a king land and sovereignty. the loss of their in the 1850s to resist Waikatocrags and forests control of the limestone taken was from them by war, they retained as the Kingof what became known back a whisper of the 20th century. The Country to within of an earlier era. contain tiny outposts of Maoridom, echoes roads along the coast still junkiesAdrenaline will be drawn to the wild surf of Raglan or rough-and-tumble underground sedate more while others will warm to the pursuits in the extraordinary Waitomo Caves, Edwardian thermal complex or Hamilton’s gardens. Aroha’s delights of Te its by harnessing it to hydroelectric projectsated while elsewhere fast and free. lonelyplanet.com

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© Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely ©

KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY short legs.Themaintrunk-linebetween infrequent andsurprisinglyexpensive on omy wasbooming,withbulkquantitiesof vegetables. Bythe1840sWaikatoecon- suited totheintroductionof newfruits and vated withkumaraandothercrops,waswell Their fertile land,which wasalready culti- terms and totheadvantage of thelocalpeople. migrations. earlier land theydisplacedorabsorbedtribesfrom the Tainui migration( p218 this ). Insettling land of theWaikatotribes,descended from Manukau Harbour thehome- –hadlongbeen region –stretching asfarnorthAuckland’s By thetimeEuropeansstarted toarrive, this History Otorohanga, and Taumarunui. andWellingtonstopsatHamilton, from MokauonSH3)are less well served. but theremote communities(apart coastal towns are alsowellconnected onbusroutes, everywhere intheNorthIsland.Mostinland tensive linkthecityto domesticroutes. Buses ( p223 someinternational andex- ) servicing Hamilton isthetransporthub,withitsairport Getting There&Around which summer cansuffer droughts. wetter andcolderthantherest of theregion, The southernarea aroundTaumarunui is Climate 216 WAIKATO Trains are anotheroptionbuttheyare Initially European contact wasonMaoriInitially Europeancontact Go green Tackiest tourist attraction Festival Swim at ers shouldbeveryafraid Watch Listen to Read Drink Eat FACTS WAIKATO &THEKINGCOUNTRY Te Kuiti( p241 ) 27) Codd House’s Crowded ( p227): Kaha AKT • Nrho aitn WAIKATO ofHamilton ••North Rotten corn at Kawhia’s Kai Festival ( Kai Rotten cornatKawhia’s p235 ) , Haul Away Potiki Gut-cleansing sodawaterinTe Aroha( p233 )

Black Sheep RunningoftheSheep, Te Kuiti( p241 ) Raglan ( Raglan p224 ) Thesacred soundsofTe Awamutu Off-the-grid tepees atSolscape( Off-the-grid p226 ) (1986)byPatricia Grace (2006) –thoseTe Kuitishear- Mean toMe The BigShearer, , SplitEnz’ Kia (which hassomedecent cafés)until south of central Auckland,andheadtowards linen anda volleyball net. spoils visitingsurfers withsmartrooms,nice beach.co.nz; 8Centreway Rd;dm/s/d$25/38/60,tw$50-75) 360,000 hectares of land,much of which meander, theupperWaikatohassome minutes, butifyou’re inthemoodto Auckland andHamilton inabout 90 Most peopleblastalongSH1between NORTH OFHAMILTON of landthattheCrown still held. $170 millionpackage, includingthereturn and confiscationof theirlands,aswella full Crownapologyforthewrongfulinvasion defend. In1995theWaikatotribesreceived a was given tocolonialsoldiers tofarmand there for decades. several Country. Europeansdidn’tdare toventure south towhatbecamebrandedtheKing as theWaikatoWar,Kingites retreated control. After almostayearof known fighting, force toinvadetheWaikatoandexert colonial known asthe‘KingMovement’ (see p219 ). safeguard theirinterests, formingwhatbecame confederation of tribesunited toelectaking pressure Maori topurchase land.Inresponse, a during the1850s,largely duetothecolonists’ the flatfecund Waikato plains. to theenvyof thenewarrivals,whocoveted became aprosperousfarmingtown–much nearTeand beyond.Rangiaowhia, Awamutu, produce exported inAuckland tothesettlers you see the signs. It’s a pleasant thePortWaikato signs.It’sa pleasant you see at other times. strong ripsrender itunsafe forswimming and 6pmonweekends andschool holidays; 10am on dutyinsummer,butonlybetween but treacherous surfbeach. Lifeguards are marae tion of baches (holidayhomes),acoupleof tle here apartfromanold-fashioned collec- the mouthof river. themighty There’s lit- far fromthereality of thispetite village at of that’s heavy industryandcrustyseadogs, conjureWhile thenamemight upimages Port Waikato diversions. interesting To get here, SH1atPokeno, turnoff 50km The warresulted intheconfiscationof In July1863Governor Grey ahuge sent Relations between thetwoculturesRelations between soured Waikatoa Surf Lodge Surf Waikatoa , astore, andabeautiful takeaways ( % 09-232 9961;www.sunset lonelyplanet.com

lonelyplanet.com (46km) To NewPlymouth Ahiti Ngarupupu Urawhitiki Taurangaruru WAIKATO &THEKINGCOUNTRY 3 ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ὈὈ Ὀ Tirua Point Albatross T ASMN Point Point Tongaporutu Limestone Downs Port Waikato Kiritehere Waipipi Manioroa Marae Point Kohuratahi Woody Head Glenbrook S EA Okau Whale Bay Manu Bay Otehe Point Hot Springs Awamarino

Awakino Ngarunui Beach Nikau Cave Whareorino Te Toto Waiuku Te Maika Herangi Range Te Puia Otaua Gorge Forest Ruapuke Moeatoa Te Waitere Taharoa Forest Waiuku Lake Aka River Beach 40 ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲ ᝲ Marokopa Rangipu Te Akau Beach WAIKATO &the ••Waikato Country King Harbour Mt Karioi Railway Vintage Glenbrook Kawhia Falls (63km) To Stratford Harbour Marokopa (755m) Waikato Aotea Kinohaku Waitaanga Kawhia WAITOMO Mangaparo River Piripiri

Mokau River Caves Matira 43 Paemako ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ Waikaretu 3 Tatu Waiharakeke Puni Te Mata Dunmore Harbour Murray

Mairoa Raglan R Raglan Pukekawa

Bridal VeilFalls

Tawarau Natural Arch Mangapohue iver Glen Makomako Forest Opuatia Whangape Kauroa Pukekohe Nihoniho Piopio Hauturu 22 Glen Massey Pepepe Ohura Tuakau Aria Naike Lake Ohautira Te Uke Tokirima Waitomo Eight Mile Walkway 31 Matiere Tongariro National Park(11km); Karamu Junction Caves Hot Springs ᎊ Oparure Waingaro Mt Pirongia Te Rauamoa Harapepe 23 Mokauiti Mountain Ngutunui Walkway Pokeno (959m) Pakeho Waitomo Mangatupoto Aramatai Forest Park Pirongia Rotongaro (44km) To Auckland To RaurimuSpiral(4km); Otorohanga Taupiri Scenic Reserve Caves Four Brothers Mercer Lake 1 Temple View Whatawhata 40 Kirikau (274m) Karamu Mason's LimestoneValley Pirongia Kopoku ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Te Maire Ohakune (45km) Tuhua

Te Kauwhata

Te Kuiti Ngaruawahia Waipa Whangamarino Huntly Hangatiki Waiteti Tihiroa Mangapiko Management Hopuhopu 4 Aratoro Mapiu Taupiri Okahukura Lake Kimihia Taupiri (287m) Wetland Mangatangi Reserve Taumarunui Piriaka Waikare Lake Kiokio Kihikihi Maramarua Kopaki Ongarue HAMILTON ᎊᎊ ᎊᎊ 2 Te Hoe Korakonui 3 Te Awamutu Ohaupo Gordonton Torehape Te Rahu Rangiaowhia Airport Hamilton Owhango Management Kaihere Newstead Tamahere Patetonga

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217 1 30

KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY Rangiriri Hotel Rangiriri warriors. Maori and amoundcovering themass grave of 36 road the Britishcreamthoroughly scone. Acrossthe (20minutes, $2)aboutthebattle,anda tary h Centre Heritage Battle Site flag of truce. It’sworthstoppingatthe to the oner thenextdayafter theBritishgainedentry retreated; theremaining 180were taken pris- overnight manyof the500Maori defenders anumberofpulsed timesandlost60men,but Theywereking’s warriors re- atRangiriri. fortificationserectedstantial bytheMaori by gunboatsandartillery,attacked thesub- November 1863,1500British troops,backed land grab thatwastheWaikatoWar. On20 route of thecolonialarmyinspectacular As youfollowSH1southyou’re retracing the Rangiriri tions and subterranean streams. toglowworms,limestoneforma- wet squeezes tight mum twopeople)willtake youthrough $30/15; adult/child Rd,Waikaretu; 1779Waikaretu .nikaucave.co.nz; SH22 toreach northernmost formedWeathertop–NZ’s limestone bluffs Port Waikatoforafurther10km,where the roadsouthpast can continueonthecoastal with itsabundant bird life. Hobbit-hoppers 35km drive followingtheever-widening river 218 Keep onthisroadandturninland Next totheheritage centre isthehistoric Maori culture, including RuakuriCave ( p237 HarbourCruises( ) andKawhia p234 mission butyoucan often getadecent viewfromthegates. Sometoursincludeanelement of ). Maketu ( Maketu p234 ), where the Land WarcanbefoundatRangiriri ( Waikato above ), Rangiaowhia ( p228 are displayed atmuseumsinHamilton( ( ) andOrakau p228 opposite ). ) andTe Awamutu( p227 ). Remindersofthe descended from those who disembarked fromthe descended fromthosewhodisembarked oftheTainui ofMaoriinfluencein thecountry.Thisstrongest pockets istheheartland tribes, Despite orperhapsbecauseofitsturbulenthistory(see p216 ), thisarea remains oneof the MAORI NZ: WAIKATO &THE KING COUNTRY Ngaruawahia’s RegattaDayandKoroneihana celebrations(opposite). InterestingNgaruawahia’s in Ngaruawahia. Tanui Movement, are withtheKingitanga (King linked inextricably opposite ), which hasitsbase NgatiManiapotoandRaukawa), Hauraki, tury. Splitintofourmaintribaldivisions (Waikato, 9am-3pm) AKT • Nrho aitn WAIKATO ofHamilton ••North Dozens of The best opportunities to interact with Maori culture are the Kawhia Kai Festival tointeract withMaori cultureThe Kai bestopportunities are ( theKawhia p235 ), and pa h byconveniently misunderstanding a cemetery by appointment) foraninteresting shortdocumen-

( % Lord of the Rings marae Nikau Cave Nikau 07-826 3467; Rangiriri St; 07-826 3467;Rangiriri houses thesoldiers’ graves houses (meetinghouse)complexes are dotted aroundthecountryside–including , where atour(mini- ( %

( 07-826 3663; Rangiriri St; 07-826 3663;Rangiriri % Tainui 09-233 3199;www location.

h isburied.Youwon’t beabletovisitthesewithoutper- Rangiriri Rangiriri 11am- Tainui at the outdoor tables. tain buttrekstain partof through the actuallytake youonthesacreddoesn’t moun- (80 minutes return) offers excellentviews.It to remove the stick tothepaths, washyourhandsafterwards as theyfollowthecorrect protocol(noeating, wishing topaytheirrespects mayenter aslong Tourists aren’t genuinely welcome,butthose her ancestors atthetopof the mountain. final resting placeinanunmarked grave among transported upriver by Maori DameTe Queen, was Atairangikaahu, gatheredthousands here asthemuch-loved astheypassby.InAugust2006tens oftain hitotheirlovedsaying onesandtheirmoun- and thehonkingof passingcar horns –locals You’ll recognise itbythecemetery onitsslopes Taupiri visiting Taupiri and Ngaruawahia. Sat &Sun) i-SITE with alarge Thefriendly powerstation. is River allthewaytoHamilton. Alongtheway theroadfollowsWaikato From Rangiriri Ngaruawahia &Around The impressive fences of of theMaori Kingmovement (see opposite ). north of Hamilton onSH1,istheheadquarters information. and Scenic Reserve 11pm) Huntly A littlefurthersouth, If you’re fit,the The sacred of mountain theTainui people, , a pleasant spot for an afternoon bevvie spotforanafternoon bevvie , apleasant

( waka % (287m), is a further 8km south on SH1. (287m),isafurther8kmsouthonSH1. isagoodsourceof informationabout , anunattractive coal-miningtown 07-828 6406;SH1; (canoe) in Kawhia inthe14thcen- (canoe)inKawhia . TheHuntlyi-SITEhasmaps tapu – see p59 ). Taupiri MountainWalkway h waka Turangawaewae Marae taonga Ngaruawahia 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, to3pm 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, lonelyplanet.com (canoe) to her toher (canoe) (treasures) Hakarimata Hakarimata , 19km Huntly

lonelyplanet.com o days. of interestingenough tofillupacouple sights butthereto betempted aweek, tostay are boozy funstakes. You’re probably notgoing Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour fordeadinthe teries that–ontheweekend atleast–leave ticated andvibrantstretch of bars andea- the city’smainstreet hassprouted asophis- the risingfortunesof Waikatofarmers that in Hamilton recently. Perhaps it’sasignof straws. short their majestic rivers, are leftclutching the Hamilton andPalmerston North,despite boiling mudwhileTaupo hasitslake –but sisters.coastal Rotoruacompensateswith going tohave theglamorousappealof their citiesinanislandnationareLandlocked never pop 132,000 areas and barbecues. private spapools,water slides,children’s play with localkids.There are three thermalpools, adult/child $10/5; Springs shabby Ngaruawahia, theslightly ceremony and history tours. find outabouttheopeningday’sflag-raising of thecurrent aheadto king,Tuheitia. Call Koroneihana 15 Augustthe Maori from culturalactivities.Foraweek March, with tors are welcomed. place,buttwiceayearvisi- this important ( HAMILTON % However somethingstrangeHowever hashappened Twenty-three kilometres westof Potatau’s linecontinuestothepresent Tuheitia daywithKing Paki. helm. Althoughit’snotahereditary monarchy(leadersofvarioustribesvote onasuccessor), Potatau’sgreat-great-great-granddaughter,Atairangikaahu, diedin2006after 40yearsatthe ure ofthestrength ofthemovement wasthehugeoutpouringofgriefwhenTe Dame Arikinui Country ( p234 – althoughithasnoformalconstitutionalrole.), theKingitanga survived Ameas- (prestige) couldachieve thecohesiveness thattheBritishhad under theirqueen. Waikato chiefPotatauTeWaikato hopingthathisincreased WherowheroasthefirstMaoriking, better lossoflandandpossible culturalannihilation.Agatheringofleaderselected resist further from 1840. fectively comprisedofmanyindependenttribalnations,operatingintandemwiththeBritish The conceptofaMaoripeopleisrelatively newone. Untilthemid-19thcentury,NZwasef- KINGITANGA 07-824 5189; River Rd) 07-824 5189;River Despite the huge losses of the Waikato War( Despite thehugelossesofWaikato p216 ) andtheeventual openingupoftheKing In 1856,facedwithafloodofBrits,theKingitanga movement formedtounite thetribesto

( % 07-825 4761;www.waingarohotsprings.co.nz; , theanniversary of thecoronation h waka WAIKATO ••Hamilton marae 9am-9.30pm) racesandallmannerof Regatta Day Regatta maintain theprivacyof maintain isopentocelebrate are hugely popular is heldinmid Waingaro Hot a large parkaswellextravagantly themed 4.45pm Sun) Mon-Thu, 9am-4.45pmSat, 7.15am-6.45pmFri, 9.30am- .co.nz; cnrBryce&AngleseaSts; Mon-Fri) www.doc.govt.nz; St; 73Rostrevor Victoria St; Victoria with agood NZ section. mustysecondhandbookshop Sat &Sun)Awonderfully Maori treasures ondisplay, including the 4.30pm) seum.co.nz; 1GranthamSt;admission bydonation; gates. roadside Blanket) sculpture(Earth atthemain the stunning a precolonisation Maori garden.Lookoutfor garden,afragrant herb gardenand sustainable Garden Collectionwithitsmodelfamily-sized Mahal. Equallyinteresting istheProductive pagodas, dovecotes, raked andaminiTaj sand Indian gardenscomplete withcolonnades, Japanese,Chinese, English,Americanand Renaissance, Italian Collection hasseparate gardens.TheParadiseenclosed Garden free; enclosedsection 838 6782;www.hamiltongardens.co.nz; CobhamDr;admission southeast of thecentre, Stretching over 50hectares of riverbank Sights Hospital Waikato Post office Hamilton i-SITE Conservation of Department Browsers South ofthe centre. Information Waikato Museum Museum Waikato hasanexcellent collection of Tainui ( h % (36BryceSt) 9.30am-9.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-9.30pm 9.30am-9.30pm Mon-Fri, 07-839 1919;www.hardtofind.co.nz; 221 ( Nga Uri OHinetuparimaungaNga Uri % ( % h ( 07-839 3580;www.visithamilton % 07-839 8899;Pembroke St) 7.30am-sunset) 07-838 6606;www.waikatomu h (DOC; h 7.15am-5.30pm 8am-4.30pm % incorporates 07-858 1000; mana h ( %

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(Victoria St) (Victoria % 07-958 5860; Garnett Ave;07-958 5860;Garnett adult/child 07-854 7813;www.waipadelta.co.nz; Hamilton 400V8Supercars SS Rangiriri 07-847 5565;adult/child$50/30)

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You don’thave tobeyoungorfemale to .nz; cnrPembroke &Clarence Sts;s/d/tw$25/50/50; freshen up.Pricesare often negotiable. of doubleglazing and,hopefully,ageneral upgraded whenwe visited, withtheaddition building hadnew managers andwasbeing This 38-roomboutique hotel inaheritage St; rfrom$230; .legrandhotel.com; 237Victoria unit which upto sleeps 10 people. outthethree-bedroomgroups should seek reputation withbusinesstravellers. Large earnthisplaceagood professional service roomyaccommodation andmaintained Ulster St;d$135-145,units$145-320; end of acentral city street. to aswimmingpoolatthequietriverside apartmentopenson sparkling self-contained attractive prospectthanaSH1motel, this .co.nz; 3 AngleseaSt;d/tr$95/105; adequate. them much of amuchness, but perfectly with dozensof midrange motels, manyof The roadintotownfromAucklandislined MIDRANGE &TOPEND east of town. facilities are theruleatthisshady park,2km communal ple cabinsandwell-maintained flats$60-90; cabins $38-48,tourist Rd;sites$25, 14Ruakura .hamiltoncityholidaypark.co.nz; rity, asmallish kitchen and comfy rooms. near Hamilton Gardens,J’soffers goodsecu- homely hostel occupyingacharacterful house ers.co.nz; 8Grey St;dm/d/tw/tr$25/60/60/75; lounge. TV shared bathroom facilities,akitchen and spotless, cheap andprivate. floorhas Each a hostel. Theroomsare cell-like butthey’re atthisfour-storeystay apartmentblockof decent terrace lookingover the street. trying fornursing-home chic butthere’s a main drag.Thecommunallounge be might given thehostel’s positiononHamilton’s rooms butthey’re cleanandmercifullyquiet This 1st-floor eyriehaswindowless internal St;dm/s/d$23/50/58; glesbackpackers.co.nz; 937Victoria Eagles NestBackpackers BUDGET Sleeping Le GrandBoutiqueHotel Barclay Motel B&B City Centre Hamilton CityHolidayPark J’s Backpackers YWCA

( % 07-838 2219;www.ywcahamilton.org

( %

( ( % % 07-838 2475;www.barclay.co.nz; 280 07-838 1671;www.citycentrebnb 07-856 8934;www.jsbackpack ( %

( pi pis %

( 07-838 2704;www.ea % pis 07-839 1994;www 07-855 8255;www Goodsim- ) pi Amore ) pi Nicely ) p 221 ) A i ) )

) KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY rejoice! thisbohemian place Notonlydoes 10am-3pm Sun; St; mains$10-16; ons inthe warmer months. andacharminglicensed, outdoorarea beck- ghetti aglio eolio breakfast popular couscousortheever orange menu(trythesweet and affordable tin ceilings,great coffee andaninteresting features swankyleatherbanquettes, pressed- mains $9-15; just southof the centre. combinations. It’sontheeastsideof theriver, for brunch mealswithnovel andlight taste spilling ontothepavement.tables It’sgreat of neighbourhood shopsintoafuncaféwith h Hydro Café CAFÉS menu andfree tasters courses. between Matt delivers McLean aninnovative mod-NZ it’s surprisinglyreasonably priced.Chef/owner asthebestincentralNorthIsland, status h $18) are delicious–trythe pumpkin ravioli. break, mealoptions($16to seeing thelight a lovely outlook.Ifyou’re asight- justtaking offersthe WaikatoMuseum classydiningwith h Canvas RESTAURANTS kets onClarence Stor Mill St. can headforthelarge Pak NSave supermar- buzzy Victoria/HoodStprecinct. Self-caterers foodcourttoslap-up mealsinthe Centreplace cent eateries, rangingfromquickeatsatthe HamiltonRevitalised hasnoshortage of de- Eating 222 o Scott’s Epicurean Palate visible toVictoria St’spassingparade. of Frankton.It’sameasure ofHamilton’sincreasing sophisticationthatitsmain venue isnow Until recently Hamilton’sgayvenues were closeted awayneartherailway tracksinagrimcorner GAY & LESBIAN HAMILTON open whenthisbook ispublished.Further down thestreet, front. Given thetrackrecord of the worldweonlyhopeit’sstill ofattractive gaybarsinthis part venue thanitsAucklandlooking sisters, withadance flooratthebackandabeergarden in admission $20; dinner Tue-Sat) 8am-4pm) lunch Mon-Fri, dinnerMon-Sat) lunch Mon-Fri, AKT • Hmlo WAIKATO ••Hamilton Shine

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07-839 2535;1GranthamSt;mains$27-32; Hydro hasconverted anoldblock ( v % 07-834 2921; 170 Victoria St;mains$28-32; 07-834 2921;170Victoria h breakfast &lunch) 07-859 0020; 33 Jellicoe Dr;mains$6-19; 07-859 0020;33Jellicoe Given this restaurant’s deserved Given thisrestaurant’s deserved h ) 839 3173; www.shinenightclub.co.nz; 161 Victoria St; 839 3173;www.shinenightclub.co.nz; 161Victoria Vegetarians andecowarriors 8am-5pm Mon-Wed,8am-lateThu-Sat, ). Service isfriendly,it’sfully ). Service 4pm-midnight Tue-Sun) ( % ( 07-839 6680; 181 Victoria St; 07-839 6680;181Victoria % 07-839 6448; 244 Victoria 07-839 6448;244Victoria This gorgeous joint The restaurant in is aclean place togetdirty. spa- 3am Wed-Sat) the street inhandfrom belowwithacocktail drinks’ isadamn good deal. $25‘pizza,friesandtwo Wednesday night’s of liquidbread live andnightly music. ontap (1874) addatmosphere tothiscafé-bar that Wed, 9am-lateThu-Sun) Tue-Sun) and DJson the weekend. offer adecentbarhop,withlotsof live music The blocksaroundVictoriaandHoodStreets Drinking has a chirpy atmosphere. popular café,which covers and allthebases varied menuisoffered atthiscasualand $9-16, mains$18-26; dishes. Mexican or amixof Cuban,SouthAmericanand counter infortasty food($6to$8) Settle the wallyoucanexpectgreat Cubancoffee. noble facegazingfrom With CheGuevara’s h music on the weekends. treats are theThursday ($10)andlive buffet recycling andecofriendly products.Special funky 1950sfurniture andacommitmentto ofselection vegan wines,goodmagazines, deliver fresh, well-presented meals,ithasa catch the big games. andlotsofa goodwineselection screens to heritage buildingare plentyof beers ontap, midnight Sun-Thu, &Sat) to3amFri crowd withits classic grooves. the 1st-floor balcony.Itattractsanolderparty music, comedyand quiz nights. dishes upgoodpubgrub(mains$10-21),live Cook Bank Diggers Bar Metropolis Zephyr Cubbyhole 8am-4pm Sun-Wed, to 10pm Thu, to 11pm Fri &Sat; 8am-4pm Sun-Wed,to10pmThu,11pmFri Thisfriendly,funkybarhasawealth ( ( % % GuyZ ( % Watch the paradeof boyracers on 07-839 4740; cnr Victoria &HoodSts; 07-839 4740;cnrVictoria 07-856 6088;7CookSt; h

( ( % ( % 07-839 2697;15HoodSt;mains$13-17; %

8pm-3am Thu-Sat) ( % 07-838 3700; 195 Victoria St; 07-838 3700;195Victoria 07-834 2228;17bHoodSt; h 07-834 2081; 211 Victoria St;brunch 07-834 2081;211Victoria 07-839 5222; 856a Victoria St; 07-839 5222;856aVictoria Thehistoricsurrounds 9am-midnight) Insidethis1878 lonelyplanet.com h Aglobaland s slicker- a is 10am-late Mon- h h h 3pm-late 8pm- 11am- v ) 428 7546;www.busit.co.nz) bar goes offontheweekend, withitsfreebar goes ices throughout theregion,ices throughout including Cmbl soundtrack. Campbell pink cowboyhatsandNeilDiamond/Glen midnight Sun-Wed,1pm-3amThu-Sat) lonelyplanet.com have advancefares from$1ontrips starting hours). four ($10 to$40,twohours) andWellington($84, utes), Te Awamutu ($20,29minutes), Rotorua minutes), ($15to$23,24min- Cambridge Aroha ($10,onehour),Matamata ($24,54 hours), Ngaruawahia($20,20minutes), Te destinations includingAuckland($30, two .co.nz; cnrAnglesea&BryceSts) ($7.70, Raglan one hour). utes), Te Awamutu($6,30minutes) and ($6,40min- ($7.80, onehour),Cambridge Ngaruawahia ($3.70,25minutes), Te Aroha Sts) Bryce Centre Transport arriveAll buses anddepartfromthe BUS hour). (one hour), Gisborne(75minutes) andNapier days toKerikeri (1¾hours), Whangarei (one $290) .co.nz; one-way site forfares and special offers. and Christchurch (1¾hours). Checkitsweb- Wellington (65minutes), Nelson(70minutes) (30 minutes), Palmerston North(45minutes), the GoldCoast(3¾hours) aswellAuckland Sydney (3½hours), Brisbane(3½hours) and has direct fromHamilton flights Airportto Air NewZealand AIR Getting There&Away 221 St) Tristram and at the sipping onalcoholic beverages. $14-17, child$10) $9.50-14.50, child$7-8.50) Skycity Cinemas Entertainment Rodeo Budget operators Environment Waikato’s Sunair Aviation Ltd Cinema Victoria InterCity/Newmans Live theatre andconcertscanbeenjoyed Founders Memorial Theatre Founders Memorial Meteor Theatre Meteor . .

Watch art-house filmswhile Watch art-house ( ( %

% WAIKATO ••Raglan ( offers direct onweek- flights ( %

( % % 07-835 0088; Centreplace Mall; adult adult 07-835 0088;Centreplace Mall; 07-838 1911;20HoodSt; A seven-screen Aseven-screen multiplex. 0800 737000;www.airnz.co.nz)

( 07-838 3036; 690 Victoria St;adult 07-838 3036;690Victoria Naked Bus Naked

% 07-834 3457;cnrAnglesea& ( ( % % hasnumerousserv- 07-834 3457;www.intercity services numerous services 07-575 7799;www.sunair 07-838 6603; 1 Victoria St) 07-838 6603;1Victoria (www.nakedbus.com)

Busit! ( Thischeesy % 07-838 6600;

( Hamilton % h 0800 4pm-

located 1kmwestof the city centre. ates Monday toSaturdayfromaround7am departure 12years is$25(forthose and tax 383 Anglesea St) .co.nz; Hamilton Airport) opment – perhaps duetoa mainstream Kiwi tohaveIt’s smallenough escapedmassdevel- maywellbeNZ’sperfect surfingtown. Raglan pop 2700 RAGLAN Red Cabs Hamilton Taxis TAXI Rent-a-Dent Budget Rent-A-Car CAR Hamiltonthrough Transport Centre. passto 7.30pm(later onFriday).Allbuses 428 7546;www.busit.co.nz; adult/child$2.60/1.20) Hamilton’s citybussystem, BUS costs into thecity.Ataxi around $40. shuttle.co.nz; fare $17) over). The .co.nz) Hamilton Airport TO/FROM THEAIRPORT Getting Around Frankton TrainStation ($49, 35minutes). TrainsstopatHamilton’s Wellington ($109,9½hours) viaOtorohanga Auckland($49,2½hours)route between and www.tranzscenic.co.nz; May-Nov) dailyDec-Apr,Fri-Sun Hamilton isonthe TRAIN Tauranga ($21, two hours). hours), ($8,30minutes) Cambridge and daily shuttles to/fromAuckland($21,2¼ Te Awamutu($9, 25 minutes). cluding Ngaruawahia($10,20minutes) and ($36, 3¾hours), stoppingatmosttowns,in- Auckland ($19,twohours) andNewPlymouth .co.nz) Wellington (10 hours). (30 minutes), Rotorua(90minutes) and minutes), Matamata (onehour),Cambridge to Auckland(2½hours), Ngaruawahia(30 Go Kiwi Go Kiwi Dalroy Express is12kmsouthof thecity.International operates a daily service between operates adailyservice ( % ( % Super Shuttle ( % 07-839 0500) ( 0800 446549;www.go-kiwi.co.nz) %

( 07-839 1049;www.rentadent.co.nz;

% offers adoor-to-door service ( ( % 07-8477 477) % 07-848 9027;www.hamiltonairport 0508 465622;www.dalroytours Overlander

( 07-838 3585;www.budget % (

% 07-846 8353;QueensAve) 07-843 7778;www.super

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KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY h soft surfboards thatmake up iteasiertostand school.co.nz; 5bWhaangaRd,WhaleBay;3hrlesson$89) School Surf Raglan SURFING tide. See p226 of fordetails the surf beaches. Puriri Park by awalkwayfromGovernment Rd,andat handy beaches are at harbour beach popularwith families.Other bridge bytheholidaypark,isa safe, calm Te Reserve KopuaRecreational BEACHES shops, includingweaving and carving. Mon-Fri) ( ifyou yourself miss them. of themeagre openinghours, butdon’tkick artefacts, photos andnewspapers. Make note of localMaori andPakeha pioneers through donation; The small MUSEUM &GALLERY Sights &Activities West CoastHealthClinic InformationCentre Visitor Video Raglan Post office extend your stay. youritineraryto youshuffle place thatsees also beNZ’s best-looking town. and girlsfromallover may theworld;Raglan toattractfitguys swimming. Thisallserves harbour isexcellentforkayaking,fishing and The Endless Summer Bruce Brown’sclassic1964wave-chasing film and attractsurfers fromaroundtheworld. are internationally famousfortheirbreaks Harbour (Whaingaroa),thenearby oceanbays attracts big-namebands in summer. There are goodeateries andabarthat several beaches forabitof –yetit’sbigenough bustle. preference forthesafer white-sand east-coast 224 museum (13 Wainui Rd). bemovingtothe 10am-4pm Sat&Sun)Willeventually .raglan.org.nz; 4WallisSt; St; Information % h A communityhub,the It’s exactlythesortof laid-back, charming Nestled nearthesouthheadof theRaglan 10am-8.30pm) Hasinternet access. 07-825 0023; Stewart St;admissionfree; 07-825 0023;Stewart AKT • Rga WAIKATO ••Raglan 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11pm Sat) haschanging exhibitionsandwork- h , towardstheendof WallisSt,athigh (39BowSt) pioneer museum 1-3.30pm Sat&Sun) ( % 07-825 0008;9aBowSt;perhr$5;

( % h 07-825 7873;www.raglansurfing Cox Bay Cox features Manu The Bay. ( % 9.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri, ( (13 WainuiRd;admissionby % explores thestories

07-825 0114;12Wallis Old Arts SchoolCentre Old Arts 07-825 0556;www , which isreached , over thefoot- h 10am-4pm uses uses

play, makingitan idealspot for families. the inletfromtown. Ithasloadsof roomto facilityonthespitofmaintained landacross cluding coffee and snacks. 3½-hour limestoneexcursion ($65),bothin- a two-hourkayak’n’coffee tour($50)anda aks forhire andregular expeditions such as /full day $35/45). sons, aswellboardandwetsuithire (half- .raglanholidaypark.co.nz; Marine Pde;sitesperadult/child Marine .raglanholidaypark.co.nz; .co.nz; hire hr/half-day/fullday$15/35/45) kayaks for hire. $35)ocean $25)ordouble(half-day (half-day pancake rocksontheharbour’s north edge. to investigate thenooksandcranniesof the skills, butbefore toolongyou’llbewanting gentle OpotoruRiver isgoodforlearningbasic HarbourRaglan isgreat forkayaking.The KAYAKING Beach. Wainamu hour, one-on-onekite-surfing lessonsat Bay;lessons$85) Wainui Rd,Manu water at Ngarunui Beach. ( Lodge, WhaleBay p226 ) before hittingthe fromKarioi($5 perhour).Thelessons start boogie boards($5perhour)andwetsuits you canrent surfboards(from$15perhour), their first lesson.Ifyou’re already experienced getting 95%of first-timers during standing up.Instructorsand stay pridethemselves on .raglanbackpackers.co.nz; 6WiNeera St;dm$23-25,s$52, d& $12/6, dm/cabins$20/60,unit$65-90; KopuaHolidayPark Raglan BUDGET ing surf beaches. See season. p226 foroptionsattheneighbour- It wouldpaytobookahead,especiallyinpeak Sleeping andtheBridal Beach Veil Falls. which includesTe TotoGorge, Ruapuke tour($45/30),hour RoundtheMountain $15/10 peradult/child andthepopularthree- for They includeanhourtouraroundRaglan tours.co.nz) ScenicTours Raglan Tours Skyrider o Kayaks Raglan Backpackers ( Raglan below ) hassingle Solscape runsgood-value, small-group tours.

Raglan Backpackers Backpackers Raglan

( % ( % 07-825 7453;lessons$100) 07-825 8268;www.solscape.co.nz; 611

Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels ( %

( % 07-825 8862;www.raglankayak 07-825 0908;www.raglanscenic

offers 2½-hourles- ( %

( % pi 07-825 8283;www 07-825 0515;www alsohaskay- takes two- Anicely ) with sea viewsfromsomeroomsandtherestwith sea feel. It’sonthewater’sholiday-house edge, you’ll receive laid-back andhasadelightfully hostel delivers oneof thewarmestwelcomes lonelyplanet.com verandas andkauri trimmingsisforyou. The to1am)with sunny heritage pub(licensed finishes isforthe weakthenthistwo-storey you thinkthatgoing tobedbefore theparty [email protected]; 14BowSt;s/d/tw$60/80/80, f$95-110) Hotel Harbour View MIDRANGE throws inbreakfast to boot. onaquietstreetment belowherhouse –and apart- owner rents thespaciousself-contained $44/66; to stay another night. where askingifit’spossible you’ll find yourself ing newfriends.Thisisoneof places those hard tobeatlyingabout inahammockmak- Ifthat’stoo strenuous, thenit’s per half-day). free, oryoucanhire aboardandwetsuit($25 kayaks, bikes, golfclubsandfishing gear are arranged aroundagardencourtyard.Basic tw $58-66; 1 3 2 Te Hutewai Pokohui RAGLAN Nihinihi Ave Brayside

Rd Uenuku p Ruapuke Beach(26km) Whale Bay(6.5km); Manu Bay(5.5km); Ngarunui Beach(3km); To WainamuBeach(2.5km); pi Creek ) Quite thebargain, thisone. Alovely

Ave

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( % Ave

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Thisexcellent,purpose-built Opotoru Rd Opotoru WAIKATO ••Raglan 07-825 8974;7aGilmourSt;s/tw Wainui

( %

Rd ὄ 07-825 8010;harbourviewho Harbour Raglan Opotoru River

Marine 10 Pde Recreational Te Kopua Reserve B Footbridge Jetty SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Raglan Backpackers...... Harbour ViewHotel...... Brayside...... Old SchoolArtsCentre...... West CoastHealthClinic...... Visitor InformationCentre...... Raglan Video...... Post Office...... ine uem...... B1 Pioneer Museum...... 11 14

If Wi Neera St 9 6 2 3

Wainui Rd 13 12

Bow St Bow Cliff St Stewart St Stewart Wallis St 4 ous brunches ina bustling atmosphere. upgener-open totheroadand rafters, serves h music. live forfishback intheevening andchips and and asuperbcoffee can’tbeallbad.Come over the water, with abreakfast quesadilla looking started atSaltRock’swindowseat, $9-15; udon noodlesandenjoythemby the water. Grab somedeliciousrolled-to-ordersushi or aways withoutthegrease, Japanese surfer-style. $9-12; Place Aloha Market Eating a deckoverlooking thewharf and harbour. central modernlounge withakitchenette and twoattractiveThese en-suite roomsshare a it’s notMtDoom;quite theopposite, infact. commodation.co.nz; 49LilySt;s/d/tr/q$90/140/180/180) and you’llbe sharing bathrooms. rooms are thebedsare cleanalthough saggy

Norrie Ave 8 Bankart Park (200m) To Puriri 15 Salt RockCafé Aqua Velvet Journey’s EndB&B 5 7.30am-4pm) 1 ὈὈ

h Gilmour h St

7 St St James 11am-5pm Thu-Fri &Sun,to7pmSat) 11am-5pm Thu-Fri 9am-3pm Mon-Thu, &Sat) 8am-lateFri

Tutchen Ave

Point St Point Bow St Bow John St 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Thisairy‘kitchen andballroom’,

( % B1 C1 C1 C2 C1 B1 B1 C1

Robert St Robert Park Dr

( Kent St Kent % 07-825 8588;17BowSt; meals$9-16;

0.3miles 500m 0 0 HolidayPark...... ENTERTAINMENT EATING qaVle...... B1 Aqua Velvet...... Salt RockCafé...... (see14) Harbour ViewHotel...... (see8) Aqua Velvet...... (see12) Tongue &Groove...... Salt RockCafé...... Independent Grocery...... Aloha MarketPlace...... Raglan Kopua ( % Wharf (500m) B&B (500m); To Journey'sEnd

( 07-825 8022;2WallisSt;mains % 07-825 7440;5BowSt;mains 07-825 6727;www.raglanac Recreation Grounds

Kaitoki Bay Cross St

Rose St

D To TeMata(20km);

Hamilton (48km); Rd Main Primrose St Primrose

Manukau Rd Kawhia (50km)

It’stake- Government Bay (1km) Aday 10 15 14 13 12 11 23 To Cox 225 B1 C1 B1 B1 B1 No

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KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY daily on weekdays anddaily daily onweekdays on weekends. Hamilton (onehour)three times andRaglan vegetarian rotiisa bargain ($13). furniture andlotsof localart.Thedelicious sipping inthisfunkycornercaféwith1950s andcomfycouchesstreetside forwine seats

$12-28; fresh bread and imported treats. hire half-/fullday$22/33; this rocky but famous surfing spot, said to this rocky butfamoussurfing spot,said Another 2.5kmjourney willbringyouto Bay Manu swimming. for with lifeguards and thebestoceanbeach late OctoberuntilApril.Thisistheonlybeach lifeguards whopatrolpart of thebeach from istheclubforvolunteer On theclifftop great beach forgrommetslearningtosurf. thanakilometreLess furthersouth,thisisa Ngarunui Beach extremely treacherous for swimmers. and kite surfers butstrongcurrents make it of theharbourispopular withwindsurfers Kereopa Memorial Dr,thisbeach atthemouth Just 4km downRiria southwest of Raglan, Wainamu Beach SOUTH OFRAGLAN Centre. Information bikestain canbecollected fromtheVisitor www.busit.co.nz, adult/child$7.70/4.30) allow atleast an hour. Mata/Kawhia andfollowthesigns; turn-off towards Hamilton for7kmandtake theTe off thebeatencertainly track.Head back ing andpronetorockslidesbutscenic to Kawhia, 50kmsouth.They’re slow,wind- backroadsconnectRaglan SH23. Unsealed From Hamilton, is48kmwestalong Raglan Getting There&Around View attractsthecrèmeof Kiwi rock. the weekends insummerwhentheHarbour View Hotel allhostlive music,especiallyon Aqua Velvet, andtheHarbour SaltRockCafé Entertainment 5pm Sat&Sun; ( 226 % Self-caterers shouldtry Self-caterers Tongue &Groove Bike2Bay Environment Waikato’s 07-825 6533; 2a Wallis St; 9am-5.30pm Tue-Fri, 10am- 07-825 6533;2aWallisSt;9am-5.30pmTue-Fri, AKT • Suho aln WAIKATO ••SouthofRaglan h 8.30am-8.30pm;

v ( % ) fororganics, bulkwholefood, 07-825 0309; www.bike2bay.com; 07-825 0309;www.bike2bay.com;

( % v 07-825 0027;19BowSt;mains h ) There are plentyof 9.30am-5pm) Independent Grocery Busit! heads between headsbetween ( %

0800 428 7546; 0800 4287546; moun-

of luxury self-contained lodges nearby.They of luxuryself-contained 825 7873; 5b Whaanga Rd; www.karioilodge.co.nz; dm/d 825 7873;5bWhaangaRd;www.karioilodge.co.nz; d/tr $20/43/58/69,tepeess/d/tw$50/68/68,cottages 611 WainuiRd;sitesperperson$15,caboosesdm/s/ meals ($12) the roomsare cleanandcosy.Goodcheap Surf School ( p224 ). There are noensuites but bikes,mountain bush walksandtheRaglan $27/69; to get here. be prepared toclamber600mover therocks further westof Manu butyou’llhave Bay, to This renowned surfingspotisakilometre Bay Whale complete thebewilderingarray of services. ( p224 ) andmassage therapy($65perhour) sea-view cottages, surflessons Self-contained ers (solar)anddecenttoilets(composting). hotshow- ‘off thegrid’–whilenotsacrificing native bush,knowingthatyou’re completely tepee, surroundedby surprisingly comfortable greenie experiencecouldwellbechilling ina communal lounge/kitchen. Theultimate tion inrecycled traincarriages withahomely $110/145; Tasman meets Sea the coastline. the angleatwhich theoceanswellfrom The elongated uniformwaves are created by have thelongest left-handbreak intheworld. easier hour uptothesummit. Fromtheeast hours toreach a lookoutpoint,followedbyan upthewestern slope.track goes Ittakes 2½ south of astrenuous Whale Bay, butscenic fromtheTeStarting TotoGorge carpark Gorge Pirongia ( opposite the ). At itsbase (check outthatprofile), isthesister toMt In legend, Karioi Lady (756m),theSleeping Karioi Mt you’ll wantto move in. (add$25perextraperson), ing uptoseven metandsleep- modernneed lined, withevery overlooks views!).Wood- thebeach (those withadeckthat and fullyequippedhouse dicators.co.nz; d$200; up ocean viewsandcansleep to 12. Lounge, whichto theLava hasaprivate spa, range As fromtheSweet studioapartment www.sleepinglady.co.nz; lodges$120-220) also run Indicators BeachHouse innativeDeep bush, Solscape is a steep cleftinthemountainside. isasteep pi pi Sleeping LadyLodging

are available. friendlyfolks These ( ) offers basketball, aflyingfox, % ) has backpacker accommoda- 07-825 8268;www.solscape.co.nz; pi ) isawonderful,large

( % Karioi Lodge Karioi 07-825 7889;www.in lonelyplanet.com

( % , acollection 07-825 7873;

Te Toto ( % 07- Whale Bay marks the end of the sealed road, markstheendofWhale Bay thesealed Ruapuke Beach Track. Toto climb tothesummit,where theTe itmeets side, theWairake Trackisasteeper 2½-hour lonelyplanet.com climbed fromCorcoranRd(three tofive of theWaikato. isusually Themountain its 959msummitclearlyvisiblefrommuch The mainattractionof thispark is Pirongia ForestPark enjoy cows andsheep panoramic views. ered innative bush leadstoahilltopwhere A15-minutethis reserve. hike upagullycov- SH23, the Halfway Hamilton between on andRaglan Four BrothersScenicReserve a problem here. you’ve admired theview.Theftfromcars is the bottom,where it’spossibletoswimonce below. Afurther10-minute walkleadsto swirling aroundthekhaki-coloured poolfar fect compoundedbythedancingrainbows top of thefalls.It’samagicalplace,ef- mossynativewalk through bushtothe From thecarpark,it’saneasy10-minute Veil Falls Bridal Just pastTe Mata tothe 55m istheturn-off Bridal VeilFalls rejoins theinlandroadat Te Mata. gravel roadcontinuesonroundMtKarioi and feel. The beach andhasanend-of-the-world 6800; sitesperperson$10-12,cabins$35) fisherfolk. swimmers butpopularwithsurf-casting which isdangerous for 28km fromRaglan, but agravel roadcontinuesto Ruapuke Beach, had provided inspiration–SplitEnzsongs raised hissleepyhometown,Te Awamutu,tointernational attention. Itwasn’tthefirsttimeit In theopeninglinesofCrowdedHouse’s firstsingle(‘MeantoMe’),NeilFinn single-handedly TE AWAMUTU’S SACRED SOUND decades ago andFinn Senior nowlives in Cambridge. version ofGraceland. (their childhoodhome at588Teasdale St, theirschool,even Neil’spianotutor’shouse). It’sNZ’s a brisktradeinFinn T-shirts, Finn brochures ofsites stampsandwalking-tour fromFinn history devotees Te continuetomake Awamutupilgrimages–justaskthe staffatthei-SITE.They do include similarreferences. If you’re hopingfor acloseencounter withgreatness, town The it’sunlikely. boysskipped Despite NZ’sbrilliantsong-writing brothersbeingfarfromtheheightoftheirfame,Finn Ruapuke BeachMotorCamp Ruapuke Karamu Walkway Karamu , 4kmfromthemainroad. WAIKATO ••Te Awamutu wanders through isnearthe Mt Pirongia (

% 07-825 Haul Away , Sat & Sun) .co.nz; 1GorstAve; oddities such asNeil’sform-twoexercise There are goldrecords, originallyricsand Timshrine tolocalheroes andNeilFinn. repeats’,never hasa Mon-Fri, 9am-1pmSat)Internet Mon-Fri, access. ally bloomfromNovember to April. Rexy.Theyusu- GayandSexy Dancer, Lady lously fruitynameslike BigDaddy,Disco has 2000bushes and51varietieswithfabu- the Waikato War. taonga book. There’s alsoafinecollectionof Maori 10am-1pmSat,1-4pmSun) Mon-Fri, .org.nz; 135RocheSt;admissionbydonation; Te Awamutu Sights &Activities Te Awamutu G.net Café best toilets in NZ. somewhere reputedly, Itdoes, else. have the ably becontent tostophere onyourway boxeda Finnfan(see text, below ) you’llprob- butunlessyou’restreet andadecentmuseum, for dairyfarmers. main It’sgotapleasant town forlargeunsuitable isaservice canoes) Short’; theWaikatobeyondthispointwas Te Awamutu(which means‘TheRiver Cut pop 9340 TE AWAMUTU (p219). Hamilton and informationare in available fromDOC Maps tospendthenight. summit ifyouneed hours hutnearthe oneway).There’s aDOC Information The and (treasures) andanexcellentdisplayon Rose Garden ( Kia Kaha, %

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227

KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY 428 7546;www.busit.co.nz) way). Theregional busservice Hamilton andOtorohanga (29km either Te AwamutuisonSH3,halfway between Getting There& Away bilia in the foyer. four screens andfabulousmovie memora- $14) 3 Cinema Regent Entertainment stretching frompasta to curry. old photosonthewallsandadecentmenu eat ordrink,withcheap butpotent cocktails, Alexandra Sts;mains$14-25) favourites. fragrant allthethis attractive restaurant serves yellowglow,up thetownwithabright $12-17; Indian Aroma Eating &Drinking provided). ingredients a commonlounge andkitchen (breakfast Rd. Twodoubleroomswithensuites share the dairyheartland,8kmeastof Cambridge atthissmartnewplacein farmer fantasies .co.nz; 141LongRd;d/q$110/200; sleeps. small-town choice ifyou’re hankering forstraight-up andshare aspa,makingthemsolid Sky TV have unitsatRosetown comfortable kitchens, Rd;d$90-150; tumotel.co.nz; 844Kihikihi Rosetown Motel Sleeping Pageant, Idolanda Rosetown film festival. live music,exhibitions,theMissRosetown utu.co.nz) The annual Festivals &Events hydroslide ($3),gym($8),spas and saunas. 8am-7pmSat&Sun) Fri, Sts;pooladult/child$3.50/2; Selwyn the WaikatoWarcanbe here.seen oldest inthecountry.Memorials relating to windowisoneoftuary’s stained-glass the the i-SITE(where thekey iskept). Thesanc- of andrimu,is across theroadfrom matai 228 Cloverdale House Cloverdale The St John’sAnglicanChurch Redoubt Bar&Eatery Redoubt Builtin1932,thisArtDecocinema has AKT • Aon eAauu WAIKATO ••AroundTe Awamutu h isheldinearlyFebruary, featuring Events Centre Events lunch Mon-Fri, dinnerdaily; lunch Mon-Fri,

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% ) The 0800 and distributed to colonial soldiers. farming land–confiscated fromtheMaori sion’s St Paul’s Church move,tactical outflanked Cameron General held fortifiedpositionsfurthernorth.Inakey undefended whileKingTawhiao’s warriors ing to mutual advantage. had desired –twosovereign peoplesinteract- under theMaori version of Treaty of Waitangi ways itwastheperfect modelof whatNZ and fruittoasfarafieldAustralia. Inmany racecourse –exportingwheat,maize,potatoes twochurches,habitants, aflourmilland Maori of farmingtown–withthousands in- (5km eastof Te Awamutu)wasathriving theWaikatoinvasion, Before Battle Sites AROUND TEAWAMUTU utes) andOtorohanga ($8, 20 minutes). centre. StopsincludeHamilton ($9,25min- leaving fromoutsidethevisitorinformation hours) andNewPlymouth($35,3¼hours), Auckland($24,two dailybetween runs buses minutes). 24 ($20, 29minutes) andOtorohanga ($20, Auckland ($27to$40,2½hours), Hamilton Motors inMahoe St.Destinationsinclude .intercity.co.nz) daily). five for Hamilton (adult/child $6/4,30minutes, o SH3. on nearby Kihikihi,4km southof Te Awamutu who waswellrespected bybothsides,in this day.There’s a isarallyingcallforMaoriever) activists to ake’ cry Country (losing70warriors). Rewi’s defiant retreating towhatisnowknownastheKing pa three daysof againstanunfinished attacks 300 Maori led byRewiManiapoto repulsed where aroadside obelisk marks thesite where their nearimpregnable the Maori anddrawingthewarriors outof turning pointinthecampaign,demoralising dren andthe elderlyintheprocess.Thiswasa them andtookthetown,killingwomen,chil- by1500troops,before breaking outand The warendedfurthersouthat In February wasleft 1864thesettlement Dalroy Three daily Sadly, allthatremains isthecute Anglican ‘Ka whawhai tonuahau ki akoe,ake, ake, (We shall fight onforever (Weshallfight and andever cemetery

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Rd, Puahue) p217; climb.co.nz; 1424 Owairaka Valleyclimb.co.nz; Rd;dm/d$20/52) 1424Owairaka 300; dm$85,s$125-150,d$250- 2117 ArapuniRd,Pukeatua; drop-off service tothenorthernentrance drop-off service has erected 47kmof pest-proof fence around tion intheHauraki Gulf,acommunitytrust eradication andnative speciesreintroduc- Inspiredparadise? bythesuccessof pest alandlockedCan volcanobecomeanisland Maungatautari lonelyplanet.com for oneor two people. café.Aday’s instructioncosts$365 licensed ing cave onsite) (free staying anda tothose range of climbing gear, an indoorboulder- stocked andhires shopthatsells outafull climber.suited totheserious There’s awell- inner superhero shine. you have thebasicskillsget ready toletyour their lycrabodysuitsforthefirst time, butif for wannabe Spidermen(orwomen)todon the NorthIsland.Thisisn’tbestplace provides someof thebest rockclimbingin A surreal landscapeof limestone craggy South Wharepapa Rd. Cambridge It’s wellsignposted fromtheTe Awamutu– bubblesandbreakfastplementary provisions. ($150 fortwo)hasaspaandincludescom- Chalet Cabernet Their simple,self-contained 9amand4pmweekdays. basis; trybetween wines. Tastings are provided onaninformal microclimate toproduceaward-winningred include afour-course dinner and breakfast. there’s aspaforsoothingwearylegs.Prices African orMaori) are especiallyniceand riously furnishedthemedrooms(Polynesian, for guests($10perperson). Thethree luxu- Awamutu. Te or ArapuniRdthenTari Rdfrom then HicksRdifcomingfromKarapiro, around sixhours. Take Maungatautari Rd while theentire north–southwalkwilltake (100 minutes) isfromthenorthernside 100 years. Theshortest route tothepeak and isnowhometoitsfirst kiwichicks in Teskyline between AwamutuandKarapiro Island create theimpressive the triplepeaksof Maungatautari (797m)to Bryce’s Rockclimbing West of themountain, Styx Out InThe p % . Thisatollof rainforest dominates the ) , nearthesouthend,provides a 07-872 1821; www.judgevalley.com; 178Judge 07-872 1821;www.judgevalley.com; ae te ot f frost-free a of most the makes WAIKATO ••Cambridge

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(Map (Map is range of rugged activities which get progres- tw maps. town handsome bare-chested soldier statue. look on thefaceofput such aconfused the or thegrammarthathas it’s thesentiment fell andrest content’. It’shardtotell whether ye whomarkthismonument faithfultoherwe cenotaph ‘mother country’.ABritish lionguardsthe for theGallipoliandLe Quesnoy window. Anglican Church Lake Utu including the trees, thetwo by Whether you’re hiptohistoryortantalised HERITAGE Sights &Activities 10am-4pmSat&Sun) Fri, &QueenSts; bridgeinfo.co.nz; cnrVictoria The Information and whileawayaday or two. placetoworkonyour‘rah-rah’voice pleasant Melbourne Cupwinners. It’sanaltogether in publicsculpture, andplaquesboastof Deco buildings.Equinereferences are rife street, dotted withfineEdwardianandArt the wealthof thearea initscharming main thoroughbred horses, youcanalmostsmell the Superloolookslike a Victorian cottage. indecent numberof Even faux-Tudor houses. lined withmagnificentexotictrees andan gentility. There are village greens, avenues done alltheycantoassumeanairof English thegoodburghersCam, of haveCambridge tious WaikatoRiver lookingnothinglike the itall.Despite therambunc- The namesays pop 11,300 CAMBRIDGE (full day $250). at$175 bikingstarts andmountain seiling comboinvolvingrockclimbing,ab- half-day two-and-a-half hours of is$90.A abseiling youback$150(fullday$225)while will set rockclimbing adventurersolitary ahalf-day’s many comradesyoucanmuster up.Fora sively cheaper perheaddependingonhow Valley Rd) 1250Owairaka rockadventure.co.nz; Jubilee Gardens Famous forthebreeding andtrainingof RockAdventure Castle Apart fromitsSpanish Mission Cambridge i-SITE Cambridge . Don’tmisstheinterior of , withaplaquethatreads ‘Tell Britain heritage trails heritage River Waikato ( (VictoriaSt)isatribute tothe % 07-827 6751;85HamiltonRd) hasfree trailand heritage

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minutes) three times each weekday. h ing and supplies. tasty deli-café hascharacter, gourmethomecook- city.co.nz; cnrAnglesea&Bryce Sts) on tranquil .on tranquilLake Loadupthissmart you’re more likely toberelaxing thanrolling asitistechnicallyis acceptable stillariver, but escape.co.nz; 2nights$600) Houseboat Holidays TOP END lonelyplanet.com 7546; www.busit.co.nz) iswellconnectedCambridge by bus. onSH1,22km southeastof Hamilton,Being Getting There&Away damned. be authentic Thai,halfclassicEuropean. Fusion felafels butinstead you get amenuthat’shalf strange combo–fromthenameyou’dexpect coffee and food. front orthecourtyardgardenforexcellent h Hamilton. to country 4kmoutof ontheway Cambridge best cafébyacountrymile;it’sactually food andcooked breakfasts. It’sCambridge’s site andaccompaniedbyscrummycounter for theFormula1.Thebeansare roasted on- cherry red espresso machine wouldqualify Rd; mains$9-17; Sun) meals $9-16; place foranauthenticallyJapanese sushi fix. $1-2; Sushi Courtyard Eating nearthe Cambridge, Matamata turn-off. moth ‘prestige’ suite. It’slocated 20kmfrom Versace bathroom(goldfittings)inthemam- rooms are luxurious,check outthesumptuous Ifyouthinkthestandard nices andleadlights. Karapiro ceilings,mouldedcor-Lake hashigh withcommandingviewsofmodern house d/ste $400/750; fishing gear fora peaceful retreat. withkayaksor seven) (sleeping houseboat InterCity/Newmans Environment Waikato’s Rata o Deli ontheCorner Emanuel’s Café Oasis Café 11am-late Mon-Fri, 9.30am-lateSat&Sun; 11am-late Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4pm) Withamilkbarattached, thistriangular h

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KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY of Matamata on SH27. mets fromMatamata Airfield,10kmnorth both offer thrillinggravity-powered plum- tandem $220) 494 2537;www.dropzonenz.co.nz; 9000ft tandem$185-290) 7500-15,000ft buildings. best a 5.3km stopping attheShire’s Rest café. Puketutu RdandthenleftintoBucklandRd, into andturnright head towardsCambridge 20 minutes priortoeach tour. Otherwise, Free transfers leave fromtheMatamata i-SITE hands-on go by,soyoucancomplete yourtourwiththe farmer (orhobbit) lets anopportunity never nity toletyourimaginationfly.AgoodKiwi (of which there are many)it’sanopportu- intothehill.Butfordevotee boards set with alake, large tree andsomeplainwhite bother coming:itis,after all,justasheep farm exteriors. Ifyou’re notamassive fan,don’t hobbit holes,albeitwithouttheirwonderful owners successfullynegotiated tokeep the country hadtobedestroyed,butHobbiton’s tricately constructed movie aroundthe sets for Ring-ites.allof Duetocopyright, thein- 1.35pm, 2.50pm) under 10$50/25/free; www.hobbitontours.com; 501BucklandRd;adult/10-14yr/ &Farm Set Tours HobbitonMovie Sights &Activities road. the attractions. There’s aninternet caféacross onlocal has free townmapsandalltheguff .co.nz; 45Broadway; i-SITE Matamata Information this istheplace to come. checklist includesathoroughbred racehorse, are Shire-like. pleasantly Ifyoursouvenir of mature trees, anditsundulatinggreen hills havebut itdoes agreat café,beautifulavenues ing Matamata unlessyou’re ahobbit-botherer, feet weren’t a prerequisite). cheeked –300localsgotworkasextras(hairy place tolive ifyouwere shortandchubby- Kaimais onthe silver screen’. theold ly rattlemychains butitwasnicetosee real- ‘Strewth doesn’t mate, allthatelfnonsense 232 Truth betold,there’s notalotof pointvisit- Skydive Waikato Skydive Pick upthepamphletfromi-SITE for During thefilmingMatamata wasagreat AKT • Mtmt WAIKATO ••Matamata heritage trail heritage Sheep Farm Experience isthecountry’stopattraction

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sprawling motel complexhasspread froma h Matamata, butthiscolourfulplace(perhaps to findfresh strandsof green peppercorns in mains $17-25; the street. Thenicestare thechic apartment- sively backfrom newerandflasherblocksset older-stylewell-maintained blocktoprogres- Broadway; s$70-125,d$80-145,tr$95-140; www.broadwaymatamata.co.nz, 128 www.mirocourt.co.nz; Villas Court &Miro Broadway Motel Sleeping climb to the summit. tive 90-minute bushtothelookoutorasteep car parkit’sa45-minute na- walkthrough 150m-high spectacular the Kaimai northfor9kmtovisitthe Ranges Tower andfollowtheroad for 2km. thermal pools.Turnoff justnorthof Firth haveorous asitsoundsbutdoes three large spas$8/4; private Rd;adult/child$6/3,30min Springs springs.co.nz; 257Okauia room, church andjail.It’s3km from town. other historicbuildingsincludingaschool- artefacts andarounditareand pioneer 10 for defensive It’sfilledwithMaori purposes. symbolratherthan was afashionablestatus of NgatiHaua. The 18mconcrete tower(1882) acres fromhis friendWiremu Tamihana, chief nessman JosiahFirthafter acquiring56,000 ine, fragrant Thai experience. the extramiletodeliverliterally) a genu- goes country. the isquite possiblythebestin Benedict salmon that extends beyondMatamata. The poached areputationthis funkyeatery hasbuiltitself an impressive collectionof transistorradios), with ArtDecomirrors whileanother holds & dinnerTue-Sun) Broadway; lunch$15-16,dinner$23-29; o Eating loungecomfortable and a kitchenette. suitecontained hasthree elegantbedrooms,a over thetopfloorof thisself- agrandoldhouse, .co.nz; St;s/d/tr/q$80/120/150/180; 101Firth area in the centre. style MiroCourtvillas.There’s afunkids’play Southern Belle Opal HotSprings Tower Firth 10am-4pm Thu-Sun) Carry onpastOpalPoolsandthenfollow Carry Thai Royal Restaurant RoyalRestaurant Thai Workman’s Café Bar Workman’s Café h (

Trulyeccentric(onewallislined % h lunch &dinner; Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels ( 07-888 8369;TowerRd;adult/child$5/1; 9am-9pm) % wasbuiltbyAucklandbusi-

( % 07-888 5518;www.southernbelle ( % 07-888 8198;www.opalhot Wairere FallsWairere isn’tnearlyasglam- v 07-888 5615;2Tainui St; ( % ) Itcan’tbeeasy h (

07-888 5498;52 % ps breakfast, lunch p 07-888 8482; . Fromthe Taking ) This ) rheumatism and arthritis. & Sun) & St; 102 Whitaker one hour)andRotorua($24, one hour). Hamilton ($24,54minutes), Tauranga ($20, ($19,30minutes), toCambridge daily buses Matamata isonSH27,20kmnorthof Tirau. Getting There&Away Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels Dec-Mar, 11am-4pm Mon-Thu,Dec-Mar, Apr-Nov) 1-4pm Fri-Sun www.tearoha-museum.com; adult/child$3/1; $12.50/7.50; the historicindoor complex,thenatural spawatersthe same of water poolsforsplashingaboutin.Within to6.45pmSat&Sun) Fri, ( minutes orso,shooting water 3minto the air. 40 only knownsodageyser –blowsitstopevery the temperamental but reputedly goodforconstipation.Nearby, try thewarmsodawater –anacquired taste the entrancea relaxing private tubs andaromatherapy.Near 30min session1-4people$15-50; Spa BathHouse facilities forsoakers andsplashers. The domain The thermal area isinthequaintEdwardian Sights &Activities Te Arohai-SITE Post office Information the therapeutic hot springs. thewaters’ forbushwalking or‘taking base in MtTebush-clad 952m-high Aroha, it’sagood meaning of thename. Nestledatthe footof thatit’sgot‘thelove’,say which istheliteral Te Aroha hasagoodvibe. Youcouldeven pop 3800 TE AROHA Tauranga ($14, one hour). hours), ($9,20minutes) Cambridge and daily shuttlesto/fromAuckland($27,3¼ minutes). (45 (30minutes)hour), Cambridge andTauranga trips toAuckland(3½hours), Hamilton (one have advancefares from$1ondaily starting % InterCity Just downthehill, the Go Kiwi Budget operators Lower downthedomain, 07-884 4498;adult/child$5/3; , behind the i-SITE, split into separate , behindthei-SITE,splitintoseparate (170 Whitaker St) (170Whitaker h (

% ( % h weekends only) weekends (

( % 0800 446549;www.go-kiwi.co.nz) % 07-834 3457;www.intercity.co.nz) drinking fountain drinking 9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, to4pmSat 9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 07-884 8052; www.tearohanz.com; 07-884 8052;www.tearohanz.com; 07-884 8717;www.tearohapools.co.nz; have outdoorheated fresh- Mokena Geyser Mokena Naked Bus Naked No 2 provide relief from

museum h Bathhouse h WAIKATO ••Te Aroha 10am-10pm) (www.nakedbus.com)

10am-5.45pm Mon- allows you to allowsyouto ( % – the world’s –theworld’s

Leisure Pools Leisure h

07-884 4427; (adult/child 11am-4pm offers offers Mineral Mineral runs isin has

at thissite, equippedwithtennis court,gym up toabirdorchestra amongthelarge oaks dm $15,cabins$25-40,units$50-80; -info.co.nz/HolidayPark/; 217StanleyRd;sitesperperson$9, tion of old-fashioned, reasonably priced, Welcome toTheLove Motel. Thiscollec- .co.nz; 108 Whitaker St;s/d/tw/tr/q$75/85/100/115/130) .co.nz; 108Whitaker St; brunch$8-14, dinner$18-27; expect for its size. far better range of decenteateries thanyou’d Lovetown’s maindrag,Whitaker St,hasa Eating &Drinking up Cottage sleeps to six. GoldMiner’s per head).Theself-contained luxuryandoptionalbreakfastsaffordable ($20 Edwardian villas,Love Lodge Mountain offers $115/125/145/250; .arohamountainlodge.co.nz; 5BoundarySt;s/d/ste/cottage on your pillows. centre of town,andtheowners leave lollies tidy unitswithkitchenettes putsyouinthe Te ArohaMotel MIDRANGE atthe track starts back door. bikes are available; a10kmmountain-bike and awell-stocked herbrack.Free mountain homely atmosphere, welcomingmanagement cosy, TV-free, three-bedroom cottage witha St;dm/d$21/50) .co.nz; Miro Japanese. and Love HolidayPark owners alsospeakGerman and hotpool,3kmsouthwestof town.The Te ArohaHolidayPark BUDGET Sleeping phlet fromthe i-SITE ($1). trail heritage part of thetown.There’s alsoa23-building Wetlands Reserve hour hike (4kmbutflat)aroundthe to the summit. Then it’sanother2.7km(twohours) climbing up tothe of thedomain.Ittakes 45minutes toclimb ceramics. souvenir interesting thanmost, thedisplaysinclude the ornateMore former thermalsanatorium. Pearls Café & Bar Pearls Café Aroha MountainLodge o Bird-lovers shouldtrytheeasierone- Hiking trailsupMtTe atthetop Aroha start Bald Spur/Whakapipi Lookout Bald Spur/Whakapipi Te ArohaYHA aroundtown;pickupthepam-

p ( % , reached fromthesouthern ) Spread over two

07-884 9417;tearohamotel@xtra (

% ( %

TheLove YHA isa ( 07-884 7574; 174 Whitaker 07-884 7574;174Whitaker %

07-884 9567;www.tearoha ( h % 07-884 8739;www.yha pis 9am-4pm Sun-Tue, to 07-884 8134;www aroha (350m). Howarth Howarth ) Wake 233 -ly

KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY and morphs intoabarin the evenings. decentgrub building, thisfriendlyspotdoes fingers inmanypiesbutsurely theydon’tex- and yummy baking. opment, retaining feel despite itssleepy its fishing village hasavoided large-scale devel- Along withresisting culturalannihilationthis pop 670 KAWHIA ties on offer. a smorgasbord of adrenaline-inducing activi- selves, they’ve sexed more upeven been with An incredible naturalphenomenoninthem- ers in 1989. 1906 andonlyreturned own- toitsrightful Caves, which were taken bytheCrownin chipped away. AnexampleistheWaitomo theland,Maoriassess controlwasgradually to migration. After allowingrailwaysurveyors Ngati Maniapoto, descendedfromtheTainui Te Nehe-nehe-nui Europeans until 1883. and theregion waseffectively limitsto off would remain underhis of NZanddeclared thatallthelanditcovered King Tawhiao placedhishatonalarge map Movement (see p219 that ). Thestorygoes conquerednever inthewaragainstKing bastion of independentMaoridom, itwas cattleandAllBlacks.Aplace thatraises heartland, thisisthekindof no-nonsense Holding goodclaimtothetitleof NZ’srural THE KING COUNTRY ($1.40, 20 minutes). to Hamilton ($7.80,onehour)andPaeroa www.busit.co.nz) Environment Waikato’s Paeroa and55kmnortheastof Hamilton. Te Aroha isonSH26,21kmsouthof Getting There&Away Fri) Shop in Te Aroha. Mindyou,itis suave enough. tend tothisupmarket andpizzabar wine,tapas late Fri-Sun) brunch $8-17,pizza$20-22; late Wed-Sat) 234 forfresh produce,dairyproducts,cereals Self-caterers shouldtrythe Self-caterers Berlusconi WineBar The caves are thearea’s major drawcard. At thisstage itwasstilllargely covered by

( H IGCUTY • aha THE KINGCOUNTRY••Kawhia % 07-884 9696;9Lawrence Ave; We know the former Italian PM has PMhas WeknowtheformerItalian Housed inabig,red Housed formerbank has three services on weekdays on weekdays hasthree services (thebigforest) andhometo ( h % 4.30pm-late Tue-Thu, 10.30am- 07-884 9307; 149 Whitaker St; St; 07-884 9307;149Whitaker Busit! mana (

% h Organic Health Organic (authority), 0800 4287546; 9am-5pm Mon- affair near the wharf, and serves asthe nearthewharf,andserves affair h either endtomarkits resting place. hill andburied.Sacred stoneswere placedat Kawhia Museum Kawhia Sights &Activities Mate’, of composer thefamous Rauparaha, epic voyage, the and Maketu Marae. Attheendof itslong, ontheshorelinestill stands thewharf between tree Tangi te Korowhiti.Theunlabelledtree pohutukawa tree ontheshore, naming the When theylanded,tiedthe they finallyrecognised theprophesiedplace. until tined tobeonthewestcoast,searching (priest) –knewthattheirnewhomewasdes- the the chief/captain, andRakataura, The twoleaders of theexpedition–Hoturoa, the 14thcentury–madeitsfinallanding. of thatarrived during theancestralcanoes past harbour whenhesailed in 1770. thenarrow entrancetothelargeand missed Evena petrolstation. Cookblinked Captain store/post office, acoupleof and takeaways There’s not much here exceptforthegeneral rolled intoone,butwithoutthetourists. ( Raglan p223 ( ) andHotWater Beach p208 considerable naturalattractions.It’sbasically ) (Hani andPuna) marktheburial placeof the and behind thewoodenfence, two stones Auaukiterangi. the Through an along thecoastto a drivabletrackover the dunes. pool. Youcanwalkfromthecarpark orthere’s –digaholeforyour ownnaturalhot the sand of lowtideyoucanfindthe be dangerous, butonetotwohours eitherside dunes.Swimmingcan black-sand and itshigh, the of family have resided inKawhia sincethearrival ashis a culturalandhistoricalcommentary cruises 2hr/3hr$30/40) skipper of for $7.50/15perhoursingle/double. The from ( Kawhia S-Cape Beachside opposite ) centre. information Dove Charters Dove Six kilometres westof Kawhia isOceanBeach Famed NgatiToawarriorchief Te It wasinKawhia thatthe From the wharf, a pleasant walkextends From thewharf,apleasant Kayaks canbehired ontheincomingtide

11am-4pm Wed-Sun) impressively carved meeting house, meeting impressively carved wasbornnearbyin the 1760s. Tainui Kawhia HarbourCruises Kawhia

(

% waka

waka 07-871 5854;full day $100). ( % iswellplacedtoprovide . For fishing trips contact . Forfishing tripscontact Maketu Marae Marae Maketu isamodestbutcute 07-871 0161;admissionfree; wasdragged upontoa Te PuiaHotSprings Tainui lonelyplanet.com marae (

% , which has

waka waka 07-871 0149; grounds haka tohunga –one toa ‘ Ka Ka in in

school nextto motel unitsright the shops. see alotfrom see the road. sion fromanelder. Unfortunately youcan’t private property–don’tenter withoutpermis- Tainui Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels House is wellworth House a visit. Gimmicksaside, theKiwi meringue dessert). Women’s Association –thepavlova (a creamy withthe AustralianCountry risking fisticuffs children’sbeloved toyand–bravely BuzzyBee gumboots, jandals,No8wire, AllBlacks,the icons of Kiwiana. You’lllearnabout sheep, mates) hasamainstreet linedwithcherished sorry, Matamata), Otorohanga (Ototo his Tirau, Paeroa, Katikati, BullsandHobbiton, to adoptagimmick(we’re lookingatyou One of nondescriptNorthIslandtowns several pop 2700 OTOROHANGA p226). (see roadtoRaglan unsealed the scenicbutrough vice. Take SH31fromOtorohanga orexplore This remote have outpostdoesn’t abusser- Getting There&Away bait. There’s alsoan internet terminal. local specialitiessuch asflounderandwhite- espresso, sandwiches and main street, serving winter) St;meals$5-19; Jervois q $155-185) &Tainui.co.nz; cnrJervois Sts;s$99,d$115-145,tr$135-165, it’s rudimentary, kept clean. cottages. Whilethebackpackers blocklooks new this campinggroundhascomfortable the water’s edge attheentrancetoKawhia, $25/40/50, cottages$120-160) abeachsidescape.co.nz; 225PoueweSt;sites$30,cabinsdm/s/d BeachsideS-Cape Kawhia Sleeping &Eating bands androusing intowatchand rotten the corn youcansettle you’ve filleduponseafood, and catch upwith people descendtoenjoytraditional _festival.php) nual Maori culture comestothefore duringthean- Festivals &Events Annie’s Café &Restaurant Annie’s Café Motel Kawhia Kai Festival Kai An old-fashioned eatery inthe licensed canoe (see opposite). This (see canoe Six perkilypainted, well-kept, old- . Held inearlyFebruary, over 10,000

(www.kawhiaharbour.co.nz/maori_kai ( % h whanau kapa kapa haka 07-871 0865,kawhiamotel@xtra 9.30am-4pm, closedMon&Tue in Perfectly positionedon (

% 07-871 0727;www.kawhi

( (relations). Once % THEKINGCOUNTRY••Otorohanga performances. rewana 07-871 0198;146 kai marae bread (food) is gems hiddenamongtheusual souvenir tat. hearty snacks (of the pizza, pasta, quesadilla hearty snacks(of quesadilla thepizza,pasta, you can see active kiwienergeticallyyou cansee digging .kiwiholidaypark.co.nz; 20HuiputeaDr; sites perperson .kiwiholidaypark.co.nz; mer) Internetaccessand information. St; .co.nz; 21Maniapoto Origin are about coffee, dead serious sourcing, tomind.The folksat but thebeans don’tseem Malawi totheoldOtorohanga railwaystation, Cres; and themusos plug in. after dinnerwhenthewine-bar vibetakes over ofvariety) andthepromise thingskickingoff $7-15; Weta Thirsty Eating &Drinking two private doubles,onewithan en suite. incredible views,aflashfour-bed dormand has SH31.Thisnewhouse from townoff rugated iron)andonahill,infarmland2km 80; Rd;dm$30,d$60- .hill-tin-homestay.co.nz; 30Honikiwi fitness centre and sauna. tracks, butthepark’stidyfacilitiesincludea most attractive locale,backingontothetrain $15, cabins$50-54,units$68-95; HolidayPark Otorohanga Sleeping 9am-2pmSat,10am-2pmSun) Fri, ( actuallymadebyaMaori, carving ancestors of theNgati Maniapoto tribe. modern carved St including achurch and a lock-up. tory andhasacollectionof historicbuildings, Rd; admissionfree; morepork andweka,are well displayed. Other native birds,such askaka,kea, falcon, forfood.with theirlongbeaks,searching h 20AlexTelferwww.kiwihouse.org.nz; Dr;adult/child$15/4; The Sights Post office Otorohanga Information % hasfestive hangingflowerbaskets andtwo pi Origin CoffeeStation Origin HomestayB&B Hilltin oraMaoriIf you’re keen tobuyaBuzzyBee The small As wellastheKiwianadisplays, 9am-5pm) h 07-873 7183; 43 Maniapoto St; 07-873 7183;43Maniapoto Kiwi House Native BirdPark HouseNative Kiwi h 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) 10am-1am) ) It is indeed madeof Itisindeed tin(well,cor- (39 Maniapoto St) (39Maniapoto

hasanocturnalenclosure where i-SITE ( % museum h 07-873 6699; 57 Maniapoto St;meals 07-873 6699;57Maniapoto ( % pou The toppickintown,with 2-4pm Sun) h 07-873 8951;www.otorohanga (posts)featuring key

10am-3pm, longerinsum- ( ( % %

( hassomeauthentic It’salongwayfrom ( % % pi 07-873 8550; 7 Wahanui 07-873 8550;7Wahanui 07-873 8849; Kakamutu 07-873 8849;Kakamutu covers localhis- h 07-873 8600;www 07-873 7253;www

( 8.30am-5pm Mon- % It’snotthe ) Kiwiana Crafts Kiwiana 07-873 7391; Maniapoto Maniapoto

235

KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY (water) and war party withKawhia chief Tane Tinorau was to 500years agowhen ahunter travelling ina Ruakuri Cave wasdiscovered byMaori 400 visitors forover 100 years. Ruakuri andAranui–have bewitching been The three maincaves –theGlow-wormCave, than 300mappedcaves intheWaitomoarea. cave systems andstreams. There are more shafts droppingabruptly intounderground thecountryside arethroughout numerous after, Waitomo cantake care of that too. plummetingexcitementsqueezing, you’re gut-wrenching, soaking-wet,pitch-black, worm Cave. Butifit’sadrenaline-pumping, cathedral-like andextremely beautifulGlow- claustrophobe-friendly astheelectricallylit, premier attractionsof the . oneof the and glowingbugsare deservedly with accompanyinggeological formations limestonecavesWaitomo anyway.These idea of hell,take achill pillandheadto Even ifdamp,darktunnelssoundlike your WAITOMO CAVES minutes). 15 Hamilton ($49,35minutes) andTe Kuiti($49, hours) andWellington($109,9hours) via Nov) 872 467;www.tranzscenic.co.nz; May- dailyDec-Apr,Fri-Sun and Te Kuiti($8, 15 minutes). Stops includeTe Awamutu($8,20minutes) hours) andNewPlymouth($30,2½hours). Auckland($32,three dailybetween buses and train arrivals. fivesary) timesdaily,coordinatingwithbus to thecaves ($10,15minutes, bookingneces- and Rotorua($49, two hours). ($20, 24minutes), Te Kuiti($19,15minutes) Auckland ($48,three hours), Te Awamutu tickets.which sells There are to dailybuses .co.nz) InterCity/Newmans Getting There&Away formed, andpossiblywithaslice of cake. delivering strongandperfectly ittoyourtable, importing androastingitthemselves and then 236 History Otorohanga isonthe Dalroy The The nameWaitomocomesfrom Your Waitomoexperiencecanbeas train route Auckland($49,three between buses arrive buses anddepartfromthei-SITE, H IGCUTY • atm ae THE KINGCOUNTRY••WaitomoCaves Waitomo Shuttle

( % 0508 465622;www.dalroytours.co.nz) tomo ( % (holeorshaft); dotted 0508 353947;www.intercity

( % Overlander 0800 808279)

( % heads heads runs 0800 wai

past impressive andstalagmites stalactites Mar-Dec) .com; 21WaitomoCavesRd; Waitomo i-SITE Information workforce. the of admissioncharges andprovides much of backtheland,gets aslice owns andleases this injusticewascorrected andthe hapu the land19years later –deprivingthelocal impression asthegovernment nationalised of thecave. Thetours musthave madean before longTane Tinorau wasoperatingtours photographs given tothegovernment, and an accountof theexpedition,amap wasmade, Fred Macesurveyor withhim.Mace prepared headed intothecave system, English taking when thelocalchief, anotherTane Tinorau, to explore it. Thatchanged inDecember1887 known tolocalMaori buttheyhadnodesire family, whoownitto this day. intothehandsofland hadpassed theHolden important (sacred forburialsandstoring site), used the area andthecave becamea Shortly after, Tinorau moved hispeopleinto but thenameRuakuri(Denof Dogs)stuck. entrance. Thedogswere andeaten caught attacked byapackof dogslivinginthecave of otherplacesin NZ,buttheones in thiscave are the theminlots glowworms. Youcansee Way of surroundingyou–these littlelights aMilky accustomed tothe darkyou’llsee ontothe river.swing off As youreyesgrow the tour’sendwhenyouboarda boat and given concertshere. comes at Thehighlight Te Kanawa andtheViennaBoysChoir have The acousticsare sogoodthatDameKiri into alarge cavern knownastheCathedral. child $35/15; worm Cave arrive 10.30am between and 2.30pm. avoid thelarge tourgroups,mostof which 782 5874;www.waitomo.com; adult/child$93/39) including the company,socombodealsaresame available, The big-three caves are alloperated bythe WAITOMO CAVES Sights acts asapostofficeand booking agent. The 45-minute guidedtourof the The Glow-wormCave hadlongbeen (subtribe)of anicelittleearner. In1989 hasinternet access andagiftshop, and

( h % taonga

tours every halfhr9am-5pm) tours every 0800 456922;WaitomoCavesRd;adult/ ( ‘3 of the best’ Cave Pass ‘3 ofthebest’Cave % . Bythe20thcentury 07-878 7640;www.waitomocaves h 8am-8pm Jan&Feb, to5pm lonelyplanet.com wahi tapu hapu

. Tryto ( % leads Glow- 0800 now

ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ worm Cave is lonelyplanet.com claim it’s haunted. It’s customarytowash your people have described itasspiritual–some long asthiscave open tothepublic, hasbeen falls, andintricate limestone structures. Foras glowworms, subterranean streams andwater- the 7.5kmsystem, invastcaverns taking with The two-hourtours 1.6kmof leadthrough the cave entrance (astouristsdidfor84years). Maori History, burialsite (see opposite ) at removing the totrample through theneed with animpressive spiralstaircase, 15m-high 9am-10am &11.30am-3.30pm) 782 5874;Tumutumu Rd;adult/child$49/18; office can arrange transport. It’s anhour’swalktothecaves ortheticket hangfromtheceiling. tiny ‘straw’stalactites array of of limestoneformations.Thousands worms) butcompensates withanincredible 1pm, 2pm,3pm) Tumutumu Rd;adult/child$32/15; remarkable number of them. growth are justabout perfect sothere are a are somethingspecial.Conditionsfortheir 1 3 2 WAITOMO CAVES Three kilometres westfromtheGlow- Culturally significant Ruakuri ScenicReserve Coast (48km) Marokopa; To TeAnga(34km); Legendary BlackwaterRafting C3 Caveworld...... Waitomo i-SITE...... (see6) Museum ofCaves...... Company...... Kiwi CultureShow...... Glow-worm Cave...... Aranui Cave...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION

8 Te Anga Te AC . Thiscave isdry(hencenoglow- 1

Rd THEKINGCOUNTRY••WaitomoCaves Aranui Cave Waitomo ὈὈὈ hasrecently reopened

Stream Ruakuri Cave Cave Ruakuri h

6 5 4 3 2 1 ( % Walkway Waitomo tours 10am,11am, C3 D3 D2 C3 A3 Tum 0800 456922;

h u tu B Backpackers...... SLEEPING Shearing Shed...... Ruakuri Cave...... Opapake Pa...... mu Kiwi PakaYHA...... D3 Juno Hall Abseil Inn...... Waitomo Adventures...... Spellbound...... (see 18) ὈὈ tours hourly

( Rd %

(3km); AlturaGardens&Wildlife 0800 Te Anga Te

Park (4km);Oparure(12km) Rd To RoselandsRestaurant 30/90 min $50/80) runs leisurely Italso rather thanlionsandgiraffes. sheep animals. It’snot a zoo–expectllamasand h 477Fullerton Rd;adult/child$12/5; www.alturapark.co.nz; five-acre privately run too ortrytooutstare themoreporks inthis Pat ablue-tonguelizard, chat withacocka- ALTURA GARDENS&WILDLIFEPARK entry isincludedwith various activities. discovered incaves, andacave crawl.Free of extinctbirdsandanimalsthathave been tion. Displaysincludeacave model,fossils tory of Waitomo’scaves andcave explora- and faunathatthrive inthemandthehis- explaining howcaves are formed,theflora Jan &Feb, to5pmMar-Dec) .co.nz; 21WaitomoCavesRd;adult/child$5/3; This MUSEUM OFCAVES Water Rafting Company ( p238 ). p59 ). Tours Black departfromThe Legendary hands whenleaving toremove the 9am-5pm) Ὀ museum 3 12 13 11 10 15 9 8 7 featuring 85speciesof birdsand D3 C3 C3 D3 A3 D3

( 19 13 % . horse treks 16 HolidayPark...... Huhu...... Woodlyn Park...... Waitomo Top10 Waitomo CavesHotel...... Waitomo CavesGuestLodge...... DRINKING EATING ul' a...... C3 Curly's Bar...... 2 07-878 7640;www.waitomo-museum 10 6

Rd 14 1km 0.5miles 0 0 Fullerton 18 hasexcellentexhibits ὈὈ

11 Wait (www.alturaparktreks.co.nz;

9

park omo Waitomo Valley Rd

( %

4 Otorohanga (16km); Caves D 17 road; 16km) (alternative back To Otorohanga 07-878 5278; Te Kuiti(16km) To Rap,Raft'n' h 12 tapu

Rd Rock (6km); 8am-8pm 16 19 18 17 15 14

5 237 (see (see C3 C3 D2 C3 C3

37 7

KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY and cave climbing. Ruakuri Cave andmore glowworms,tubing adventurous into andincludesa30mabseil café. BlackAbyss (five hours, $185) ismore ends withshowers, soupandbagels inthe long, glowworm-covered passage. Thetrip small waterfall a andthenfloatingthrough a isleapingoff Ruakuri Cave. Thehighlight an innertubedownariver thatflowsthrough hours, $95)involves floating inawetsuiton (threeblack-water rafting.BlackLabyrinth .co.nz) 228 464;585 Waitomo CavesRd;www.blackwaterrafting Rafting Legendary BlackWater UNDERGROUND places. meeting on offer. aheadfortimes,bookingsand Call row theirhelpfulfolderoutliningallthat’s up withbrochures at thei-SITEorasktobor- offering acombinationof experiences. Stock able isoverwhelming, withmostoperators The arrayof underground adventures avail- Activities The store has avarietyof Angora products. mind theracklike they’re device strappedinto. approved to andtherabbitsreally don’tseem for anaudience(12.45pmdaily).It’sSPCA- prisingly sociable Angora rabbits are sheared admission free; The SHEARING SHED 238 will gohungry.The glowwormsthat shinemostbrightlyare thehungriest. dim theirlights. themafew Ittakes hourstobecomebrightagain,duringwhichtimethegrub loudnoisesanddon’tshinealightrightonthem.Allofthesethingswillcausethemtoto make but youcanseetheminmanyotherplacesaroundNZ,bothcaves andoutdoors. of moisture, anoverhang toeat.Waitomois famousforitsglowworms tosuspendfromandinsects glowworms.50, hatchinaboutthree weekstobecomelarval lays eggsanddies,allwithinabouttwoorthree days. The stickyeggs,laidingroupsof40or a cocoon.The adultfungusgnatemerges abouttwoweekslater. gets. Whenithasgrowntoaboutthesize ofamatchstick,itgoesintopupastage,muchlike it getsstuckinthethreads –theglowwormjusthastoreel itinforafeed. attracted bytheirlights.down andcatchunwaryinsects fliestowardsthelight Whenaninsect ofhammocksuspendedfromanoverhang,Living inasort theyweave stickythreads thattrail glowwormshave luminescentorgans Themouth parts. larva thatproduceasoft,greenish light. alarge ofthefungusgnat,whichlooksmuchlike mosquitowithoutGlowworms are thelarvae GLOWWORM MAGIC Shearing Shed Shearing can afford toskite astheyinvented canafford H IGCUTY • atm ae THE KINGCOUNTRY••WaitomoCaves When youcomeuponglowworms,don’ttouchtheirhammocksorhanging threads, trynot Glowworms thrive anywhere inmoist,darkcaves buttheycansurvive iftheyhave therequisites The doesn’tlive adultinsect very longbecauseitdoesn’thave amouth.Itemerges, mates, stagelastsforsixtoninemonths,depending onhowmuchfoodtheglowworm The larval h 9am-4pm)

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Company ( % 0800 lage (10am and 2pm) and goes through parts through lage (10amand2pm)goes hour tourandraft-ridedepartsfromthevil- the biggroupsinmaincaves. Thisthree- you don’twanttoget wetandwanttoavoid Waitomo CavesRd;adult/child$55) plenty of glowworms.After somecaving (with and therecent rainfall,butthere are always How fastyoufloatwilldependontheseason along asubterranean river onaninnertube. descent intoanaturalcave, andthenfloating training,followedbya27m withabseil starts from itsfive-hour small-group expeditions.It $125) 95 WaitomoCavesRd;trips version and skips thewetstuff the meals. lunch (underground) and dinner. Theshorter tions, waterfalls andmore. Thepriceincludes out, passingglowworms, amazingrockforma- cave a30m-high journey through toget back ariverming through –youtake athree-hour along narrowrockledges, wading andswim- of walking,climbing,spider-walking, inching down intothecave then –byacombination witha100mabseil trip $245/395)starts combos. TheLostWorld(four-/seven-hour cave adventures, withdiscountsforvarious omo.co.nz; WaitomoCavesRd) system, 12kmsouth of Waitomo. of theglowworm-filled Mangawhitiakau cave bringsyouto 20m cliff the surface. abelayedrockclimbup optional squeezes) Rap, Raft ‘n’Rock Raft Rap, Waitomo Adventures Spellbound

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( % generates rave reports offers five different 0800 924866;www.wait isagoodoptionif lonelyplanet.com and avarietyof cave formations,including glowworms waterfalls. Alongthewayyousee travelling alongasubterranean river with followed bythree rockclimbingand abseils, includes professional instruction abseiling Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels passes byanatural limestonetunnel. Therepasses Scenic Reserve following Waitomo Stream tothe Waitomo Walkway Also fromhere, the5km, three-hour-return fice, there’s a10-minute walktoalookout. path. FromtheGlow-wormCave ticket of- to theRuakuriCave isanexcellentshort the area. ThewalkfromtheAranuiCave The i-SITEhasfree pamphletsonwalksin WALKING break even ‘you might a nail’. down canyons.As thebrochure pointsout and venture upcliffs squeezes, tight through over after anexhausting,wetandmuddyad- tion andmealsprovided). toache Expect all $380, minimumthree people,accommoda- (six hours, $185)andTheJourney(24hours, Mission (fourhours, $125),TheExpedition experiences, withhard-mannameslike The soluteadventure.co.nz) the apply. discounts hours, $120/160).Various night/day combo (two down a45mcrevice calledThe Canyon day or(glowworm-illuminated)abseil night cave.same You’ve alsogotthechoice of a (two hours, $95)isadryexpeditioninthe glowworm-filled Te Hole Anaroa. SkinnyJoe’s hours, $99)black-water raftingtripthrough Waitomo CavesRd) in anattractive cave with straw stalagmites. andasubterranean flyingfoxcludes abseiling Cavern (three hours,St Benedict’s $145)in- a walking,wading,swimmingandtubingtrip. holers). (honking (Haggas) andcharacters story inaDrSeuss venture’s namederives fromalocalfarmer sageways totraversing huge caverns. Thead- narrow pas- tight, through from squeezing cavernsand goingthrough of varioussizes, real caving action,usingcaving equipment water) andcave coral.It’sagoodwaytoget (calcite deposited of byathinsheet flowing columns,flowstone stalagmites, stalactites, Haggas HonkingHoles(fourhours, $195) Indiana Jones–typeswilloptforoneof Caveworld TumuTumu Toobing (fourhours, $125) Absolute Adventure Absolute

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( % 0800 787323;www.ab THEKINGCOUNTRY••WaitomoCaves Ruakuri Ruakuri

is

27km, two-day loop walk through bushand 27km, two-dayloopwalkthrough 924 866; www.waitomowalk.com; adult/child $60/25) 924 866;www.waitomowalk.com; put onaone-hourfarmshowthatcombines 9149; www.caveraft.com; 95WaitomoCavesRd;dm/d/tw 9149; www.caveraft.com; www.waitomopark.co.nz; sitesperadult/child $18/9,cab- www.waitomopark.co.nz; tw/d/q $85/95/160; .co.nz; SchoolRd; dm/s/d/tw/tr $27/60/62/62/81,chalets your retinas after aday spent underground. village. painted walls mayburn Thebrightly hostels, itoccupiesafarmcottage 7km fromthe $23/51/51; playground). and to keep thekidsbusy(includingapool,spa spotless facilitiesandplentyof outdooraction camping groundintheheartof thevillage has ins $50-58,units$100-115; pool and tennis court. village withawarmwelcomeandanoutdoor slick purpose-built hostel akilometre fromthe dm $25,d&tw$60-70,tr$75-90,q$120; waitomo.co.nz; 600WaitomoCavesRd;sitesperperson$15, Juno HallBackpackers BUDGET solid options forthebudget traveller. places torest yourhead,withparticularly For alittleplacethere’s agoodchoice of Sleeping ($45), 9mabove the ground. 228 372;www.caveraft.com) muddy. very bike tripsover hillanddale. toget Expect $105) 2hr trips participation. audience history, broadhumour,localcritters and 1.30pm) .co.nz; 1177WaitomoValley Rd;adult/child$22/12; Show Culture Kiwi OTHER ACTIVITIES upin accommodation high the bush. farmland, includingovernight bunkhouse to theabandoned bushthenalongfarmland walk leadsthrough Near JunoHall Backpackers asteep 20-minute and kumarapits are visible. car parkandbringatorch tofindyourway. are glowworms here –drive at night tothe Rap, Raft ‘n’RockBackpackers Raft Rap, Waitomo Top10HolidayPark company Caving Kiwi Paka YHA Big Red The privately run isarustictheatre where localblokes pi

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has a high-ropes course hasahigh-ropes pis ) It’stoobig tobesocial ( Dundle Hill Walk Dundle Hill % 07-878 7649;www.juno , where terraces

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KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY 709 WaitomoCavesRd;s$120-150,d$130-160; tapas menuonMaoritapas specialitiessuch as terrace. Thefoodissublime;grazefrom a great viewsfromtheafternoon-tipple-friendly ithas and modernwith charming service, pointed ifyoucomehere meal.Slick forevery thebestchoice, youwon’tbedisap- Easily tapas $7-15,brunch$11-18,dinner$17-28; tourist. bloody coffee toanother a waterfall thanserving impression down they’dratherbeabseiling insomeof thebusyspots givetions. Staff the It’s asmallvillage sodon’texpectalotof op- Eating &Drinking ina want tomeet dark alley. hascharactercertainly –justnotoneyou’d generous old-worldproportionsandtheplace shabby floralvsfrilldécorbuttheroomshave Recent renovations haven’t madeadentinthe Mace andTinorau atme?). inReceptionstaring (wasthatportraitof of thefriendlystaff efforts despiteIt’s creepy thebest inthedaylight, even son,itwouldbethisgrandoldplace. a bastard hotel from mocaveshotel.co.nz; SchoolRd;d$120-180; double spabathand valley views. fasts andwittyhosts.Thebiggest roomhasa B&B withthree themedrooms,great break- A steep driveway takes youtothisdelightful and thekidswilllove you for it. shiny brassportholes.It’sextremely welldone fitted withchandeliers, mouldedceilingsand –aconverted‘Waitanic’ WWIIpatrolboat of acombatplane,traincarriages andthe optionsincludethecockpitother sleeping round windowsanddoors), WoodlynPark’s only hobbit into thegroundwith motel (set tr $127-187,q$139-199; 1177WaitomoValley.woodlynpark.co.nz; Rd;d$115-175, views. valley Thetoponeshave gardensetting. a sweet cosy littlecabinatthiscentrallodge with tw/tr $70/90/90/110,allinclbreakfast) .waitomocavesguestlodge.co.nz; 7WaitomoCavesRd;s/d/ GuestLodge Waitomo Caves MIDRANGE lar restaurant and tidy facilities. four-bed dorms,peak-roofed chalets, apopu- but thispurpose-built, Alpine-stylehostel has 240 Abseil Inn o o Hotel Waitomo Caves H IGCUTY • atm oAaio THE KINGCOUNTRY••WaitomotoAwakino Huhu Woodlyn Park The Shining

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leads to a large cave fossils of containing Scenic Reserve WAITOMO TOAWAKINO overnightstay (one way/return $40/68). with anopenreturn option,allowingyouto tours.co.nz) $109/75) orbetween the two. (adult/child $165/115),Rotorua(adult/child withreturn tripsfromAuckland tour service as welltheWaitomoCaves Explorer day- ($75, 3¼hours) andRotorua($75,2¾hours), .co.nz) coordinating withbusand train arrivals. 15 minutes, five daily,bookingnecessary), thecavesheads between andOtorohanga ($10, The informative Getting There&Away and occasional live music. good-value pubgrub,chunky woodentables A decenttavern withlotsof beers ontap, 3km decent barbecuebuffet from Waitomo. with themiddle-aged tour-bus punters atthis discourage out youfrompigging den setting meals $26; are missing. sadly larvae) Huhugrubs(ediblebeetle potatoes. wana se glowworms. see you’ll sils jutupfromthe grass,andatnight On thefarside,bigrocksfullof oyster fos- arch onawheelchair-accessible pathway. It’s a20-minute round-tripwalktothe withagiantnaturallimestone arch. serve 26km westof Waitomo,isa5.5-hectare re- of Appletree Rd. hour tracktotheTawarau Falls fromtheend Waitomo of thecaves, are outlinedinDOC’s up with petrol. over 2½hours (notincludingstops)andfill but it’snearlyallwindingandnarrow.Allow 25km of the111kmroute remains unsealed, ternative toSH3ifTaranaki’s yourgoal.Only beaten-track. It’saslowbutfascinatingal- on Te AngaRd,isthedefinitionof off-the- This obscure route, heading westof Waitomo About 4km furtherwestis The Walks inthe Waitomo Wanderer InterCity/Newmans Bar Curly’s Roselands Restaurant runs a daily bus service fromAuckland runsadailybusservice bread andbeetroot-coloured Mangapohue Natural Bridge Scenic Reserve NaturalBridge Mangapohue operates a daily service fromRotorua operates a daily service h pamphlet ($1),includingaone- 11am-2pm)

( % , where afive-minute walk 07-878 8448;SchoolRd; Waitomo Shuttle Tawarau Forest (

Don’tletthegenteel gar-

( % % (

% 0508 926337;www.waitomo 0508 353947;www.intercity 07-878 7611;Fullerton Rd; lonelyplanet.com ( , 20kmwest %

Piripiri Caves Caves Piripiri h 0800 808279) 11am-late) urenika West of

, you forthedemandingroadahead.Justpast bottom of the falls. (10 minutes return) fromtheroadleadsto located 32kmwestof Waitomo. Ashort track to get muddyafter heavy rain. giant oysters. Bringatorch andbeprepared Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels Pamplona’s of got nothingonthe sight over and itslegendary Runningof theSheep. Muster (late March/earlyNew Zealand April) that statement if you’re here for theGreat won’t have any doubtastotheveracity of to the ofshearing capital theworld! You gimmick asanoddclaimtofame: welcome picturesque somuch have hills.Itdoesn’t a Cute little Te Kuitinestlesinavalleybetween pop 4540 TE KUITI ing SH3eastof Awakino ( p242 ). twisty 28kmof breathtaking bushbefore join- your friendscan reach help. in aripyou’llbehalfwaytoMelbourne before twice aboutswimminghere; ifyouget caught isolated stretch of beach. black-sand Think a danktunnelopensoutonanexquisitely Ngarupupu Point roadtothecoastnear tour alongtheunsealed Kuiti. Te inHamilton office fromtheDOC or sheet let, water andawoodstove; pickupafact DOC-run remotethis spectacularly tractof native bush. the movie Forest Whareorino back-country,headingintothedense serious (south) intoMangatoa Rd.Nowyou’re in where lic farmlandtoMoeatoa itturnsright it followsabubblingstream idyl- through as wellatennis courtand volleyball net. small shop thatwill cover thecatering basics, tothecoast.There’sit’s inanicespot,close a St; sitesperadult/child$10/8,dm$15) Marokopa area isriddled with caves. small village onthecoast.ThewholeTe Anga/ away, orcontinuesouthwestto Te AngayoucanturnnorthtoKawhia, 53km Tue-Sun) Anga Tavern stop foradrinkorfriedfoodatfriendly The impressive three-tier At Waikawau it’s worth taking the5kmde- At Waikawauit’sworthtaking Campground Marokopa The road then continues through another The roadthencontinuesthrough The roadheadssouthtoKiritehere where The fallsare nearTe Anga,where youcan , butbesure tokeep yourwitsabout Leitch’s Hut ( Deliverance % 07-876 7815;Te AngaRd; , where a300mwalkthrough . Itwouldpaynottowatch

(www.doc.govt.nz) ( before trampingin % 07-876 7444; Rauparaha 07-876 7444;Rauparaha Marokopa FallsMarokopa THEKINGCOUNTRY••Te Kuiti isn’tflashbut h Marokopa hasatoi- 11am-1am are , a Te Te minute walk leadingupahilltothesite of and barbecueareas andasafe waterhole. collected fromtownandwhisked upthehill Mon-Fri) information. 10am-4pmSat&Sun)Internetaccessandvisitor Fri, sublime vista from its sublime vista quiet veranda. witha farmstay to thiscleanandcomfortable $60/55; Rd;dm/tw$25/55,dwith/without bathroom .co.nz; Mangarino Backpackers Mesa Casara Sleeping over the town. of townheadingsouth,provides agreat view Kuiti Lookout Reserve thestream, the it. Beside walkwayalongthe town,withapleasant century. 17th Pa,historic Motakiora constructed inthe the attractive that celebrates the carvings town’s history. tukutuku Ideas) isabeautifulpavilion of etched-glass, Whakaaro which isfullof dwarf conifers. tion are a get agoodviewfrom the gate. can’t enter withoutpermission, butyoucan before hispardonin1883(see p369 ). You hosts, NgatiManiapoto, whosheltered him guerrilla leaderTe Kooti’sgrateful gifttohis carved Diagonally opposite isthemagnificently south endof theRoraStshoppingstrip. the 7m,7½-tonne The mostprominentlandmarkintownis Sights &Activities Post office i-SITE DOC Information lots of market stalls. hangi cultural performances,live music,barbecues, shearing championships, aparade,Maori main street. Thefestival includessheep- 2000 woolly demons stampeding downthe2000 woollydemonsstampeding The Mangaokewa Stream winds through On thenorthwestern boundaryof Te Kuiti, Taking uptheothercorners of thisintersec- Further downRoraSt, ( % ( p % (feast fromanoven intheground)and (SH30) Te Tokanganui-a-noho Marae Te Tokanganui-a-noho 07-878 1050;78Taupiri St; ) (TheGatheringof and Thoughts 07-878 8077;RoraSt; (123RoraSt) (woven flaxpanels)andwooden Feel thestress awayasyou’re ease Japanese garden

(Awakino Rd) (Awakino , 3kmsouthof town,haspicnic Brook Park Big Shearer , astheroadclimbsout (

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(Te KumiRd) (Te h 07-878 6697;casara@xtra Te Kuititanga-O-Nga- and Mangaokewa Scenic Mangaokewa h 9am-5pm Mon- statue atthe statue 8am-4.30pm Redwood Park Redwood . Thiswas hasa40- 241 Te Te

,

KING COUNTRY COUNTRY KING WAIKATO & THE THE & WAIKATO WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY depart fromthesouthendof Rora St.There just off Sheridan St,thisfamily-friendly bar h to-earth estuary whilelocals findrefuge atthedown- wherea smallsettlement boatsshelter inthe of the Awakino River. winds along thecourse bush asthehighway formations before givingwaytolush native sprout peculiarlimestone stations the sheep to NewPlymouth.Alongthisscenic route coast before followingtherugged shoreline From Te Kuiti,SH3 runssouthwesttothe % TE KUITITOMOKAU Taumarunui ($49, 1¼ hours). hours) viaOtorohanga ($49,15minutes) and ($49, 3½hours) andWellington($109,8¾ Auckland Kuiti (RoraSt)headingbetween .co.nz; May-Nov) dailyDec-Apr,Fri-Sun and Mokau($14, one hour). Stops includeOtorohanga ($8,15minutes) hours) andNewPlymouth($25,twohours). Auckland($34,3½ dailybetween runs buses hour). one ($28, onehour),andtoTaumarunui ($26, to NewPlymouth($28,2¼hours) viaMokau 3½ hours) viaOtorohanga ($19,15minutes), are three dailytoAuckland($46$52, buses InterCity Getting There&Away meals orminipizzasforafilling snack ($8). excellentshellfish,substantial and bistroserves $18-30; the doors swingopenonto Brook Park. comes intoitsownonasunnyafternoon when It great coffee, tempting service. foodandsweet Kuiti. Thisexcellentindustrial-chic caféoffers thatBoscoisthecoolestplaceinTe tosay praise Bosco Café Eating &Drinking anthem. Turner of choruses may illicitinvoluntary theTina this charming. views Warning:thespectacular the pricesare thisreasonable andthehosts hard toargue withtheimmodestnamewhen plythebestbnb.co.nz; Rd;s/d$45/90; 129Gadsby 242 Riverside Lodge Riverside Simply theBestB&B The river spillsintotheTasman at Overlander Dalroy breakfast &lunch) 06 H IGCUTY • eKiit oa THE KINGCOUNTRY••Te KuititoMokau h (

% Awakino Hotel Awakino lunch &dinnerTue-Sun)

( ( % % 0508 353947;www.intercity.co.nz)

0508 465622;www.dalroytours.co.nz) 07-878 3633;57Te KumiRd;mains$9-14; ( % It’s not damning it with faint It’snotdamningitwithfaint

( % 0800 872467;www.tranzscenic 07-878 8027; 1 Riverside La;mains 07-878 8027;1Riverside

( ( % % 06-752 9815; SH3) 07-878 8191;www.sim Ontheriverbank trains stopinTe p Awakino Awakino buses buses . ) It’s

, and homemade cakes. burgers, piesandcooked mealstoicecream from aswelleverything during theseason, 5pm Mon-Fri) person $10/12, cabins d $45-55, tourist flatsd/tr/q$75/90/105) person $10/12,cabinsd$45-55,tourist ( essential. are inthehistoric mentary $40/15) tlements along the river. was acoalandlumbershipping portforset- from thetimewhenthisonce-isolated outpost ing collectionof oldphotographs andartefacts admission bydonation; of fiercely territorial whitebaiters. swarms the NorthIsland–andsubsequently River spawnssomeof the bestwhitebait in ing. FromAugusttoNovember theMokau beachblack-sand andgoodsurfingfish- village of Mt Taranaki todriftintoview,isthe starts marae from outsidethefence –don’tcrossintothe Tehouse, Kohaarua. Youcanget agoodview meeting tower andtheimpressively carved their Polynesianhomeland.Note thepalisade thisregion’sbrought originalpeoplefrom the anchor stoneof the complexhouses Thisimportant highway. Marae Maniaroa Post office DOC Information forskiinginTongariro base National Park. (see p279 ) orasacheaper main reason here tostay istokayak on the as thislittletowncanfeel abitgrim.The Maybe Taumarunui should get agimmick, pop 4500 TAUMARUNUI $6-20; contained units. SH3; s/d/tr$75/90/100) Motel Mokau tages have adinkypastel paint scheme. onthebeachis basicbutit’sright andthecot- % The Just northof Mokau, Cruises River Mokau The town’s Five kilometres furthersouth,aselegant A littlefurthersouththeimpressive On thehillabove thevillage thefriendly /fax 06-7529708;SH3;unpowered/powered sitesper ( % h operates athree-hour tourwithacom- unlesssomeone invites you. River RunCafé River 07-895 8201;CherryGrove Domain; 7am-7pm) (47 Miriama St) (47Miriama Mokau

( % Tainui Museum dominates the cliff above dominates the cliff the 06-752 9725;[email protected]; . Itoffers afinestretch of has whitebait onthemenu h offers self- no-nonsense 10am-4pm)

( ( % % Cygnet Tainui 06-752 9859;SH3;mains 06-752 9775;adult/child Seaview HolidayPark Seaview (

% hasaninterest- lonelyplanet.com . Reservations . Reservations canoe, which canoe, 06-752 9072;SH3; h 8am-

.taumarunuiholidaypark.co.nz; SH4;sitesper person$11, .taumarunuiholidaypark.co.nz; apehu.com; Hakiaha St; apehu.com; Hakiaha 4pm Sat&Sun)Visitorinformationandinternet access. The maindrag,Hakiaha St,hasafew items of Sights &Activities Taumarunui i-SITE Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels and 41km northof National Park township. Taumarunui isonSH4,81kmsouth of Te Kuiti Getting There& Away the Art Deco interior. h Cinema Regent Entertainment haloumi andsemidried tomato tart. only placeinTaumarunui where you’llfinda an inventive, the modern menu.It’scertainly very attractive eatery hasstylish décorand dinner $22-28; of up thebigger unitssleep to seven. beingupgraded.Some span andconstantly St;units$75-165; xtra.co.nz; 23Marae ming and clean facilities. shady campinggroundoffers safe river swim- Whanganui River, 3kmeastof town,this flats$40/60; cabins/tourist Taumarunui HolidayPark Sleeping &Eating trail heritage to NationalPark township (return $98). thetrain( perience thespiralbytaking below ) canex- buffs in 1908after 10years’ work.Rail feat of thatwascompleted railwayengineering is anothergood vantage point. Ongarue River onthewestern edge of town, vides great views.Te Peka Lookout,acrossthe the Domainandupincline,which pro- native through bushin A shorter walkgoes River fromCherryGrove starting Domain. Don’t enter thecomplex without permission. two historicriver Marae Ngapuwaiwaha a large rock(see p234 ). Attheendof Marae St, King Countryinasculpture of abowlerhaton King Tawhiao’s of assertion his house. tifully carved interest. Attheeastendis Flax Motel Twin Rivers The There’s adecent walkalongtheWhanganui For details ontheStratford–TaumarunuiFor details Thu-Sun)

Raurimu Spiral Raurimu ( % Shows thelatest releases. Checkout 07-895 6611; 1 Hakiaha St;brunch$10-16, 07-895 6611;1Hakiaha h e p257. see

( % 9am-3pm Tue, tolateWed-Sun) ( % waka 07-896 6827; Hakiaha St;adult $13; 07-896 6827;Hakiaha ( h

% has interesting carvings and and hasinteresting carvings p Te RohePotae , 30kmsouth,isaunique 07-895 7494;www.visitru 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am- 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 07-895 8063;twinriversmotel@ visible from the street. visiblefromthestreet. ) Onthebanksof the

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