Waikato & the King Country

WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY 221 Te Aroha Maungatautari Ecological Island Hamilton © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Waitomo Caves www.kingcountry.co.nz  Raglan Kawhia (life force) flows fast and free. mauri (life West Coast

www.waikatonz.co.nz  west coast . Te Aroha Te (p 239 ) (p 246 ) Tramping through an inland island para- Tramping through dise at Maungatautari (p 235 ) Soaking up ‘the love’ in the thermal waters in the thermal waters Soaking up ‘the love’ of in surprisingly buzzy Plotting a pub crawl Hamilton (p 228 ) Pigging out on Maori culture at Kawhia out on Maori culture Pigging Kai Festival (p 240 ) Hanging with the bronzed crowd while crowd while with the bronzed Hanging at Raglan hanging-ten (p 230 ) your own bush-framed black- Discovering sand beach on the rugged Seeking thrills in the Wait- subterranean omo Caves (p 242 )

Telephone code: 07 Telephone         Lord of the Rings HIGHLIGHTS It’s the Waikato River that symbolises this best – in places idyllic lakes have been created by It’s the Waikato created been that symbolises this best – in places idyllic lakes River have Today’s visitors can experience first-hand the area’s genteel/free-wheeling dichotomy. dichotomy. genteel/free-wheeling the area’s visitors can experience first-hand Today’s But this veneer of conspicuous Englishness only partly disguises another reality. Move over over of conspicuous Englishness only partly Move this veneer But disguises another reality.

harnessing it to hydroelectric projects while elsewhere its harnessing it to hydroelectric projects elsewhere while delights of Te Aroha’s Edwardian thermal complex or Hamilton’s gardens. Aroha’s delights of Te pursuits in the extraordinary Waitomo Caves, while others will warm to the more sedate sedate while others will warm to the more pursuits in the extraordinary Waitomo Caves, Adrenaline junkiesAdrenaline will be drawn to the wild surf of Raglan rough-and-tumble underground or back roads along the coast still contain tiny outposts of Maoridom, echoes of an earlier era. still contain tiny outposts of Maoridom, echoes back roads along the coast of what became known as the King The Country to within a whisper of the 20th century. as the of what became known Waikato was taken from them by war, they retained control of the limestone crags and forests Waikato and forests control of the limestone crags taken was from them by war, they retained elect a king in the 1850s to resist the loss of their land and sovereignty. Although the fertile elect a kingland and sovereignty. the loss of their resist in the 1850s to hobbits, this is Tainui country. This powerful coalition of related tribes joined with others to powerful tribes joined This country. coalition of related hobbits, this is Tainui

the King Country Waikato & of wonder that Peter Jackson chose the Waikato as the bucolic Shire in his movie adaptation Jackson chose the Waikato in his movie as the bucolic Shire wonder that Peter Cambridge where every effort has been made to replicate the ‘mother country’. It’s little effort every to replicate has been made where Cambridge England might wonder why they bothered leaving home, especially in quaint towns like leaving why they bothered England might wonder in the countryside around New Zealand’s mightiest river, the Waikato. Visitors from southern Visitors Waikato. the river, mightiest New Zealand’s in the countryside around If the colour green had a homeland this would be it. Verdant fields give way to rolling hills way fields give would be it. Verdant had a homeland this If the colour green WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY 222 (46km) To NewPlymouth Ahiti Awakino Ngarupupu Urawhitiki Taurangaruru WAIKATO &THEKINGCOUNTRY 3 Tirua Point ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ Albatross T ASMN Point Point Tongaporutu Limestone Downs Port Waikato Kiritehere Marokopa WAIKATO &THEKINGCOUNTRY Mokau Waipipi Manioroa Marae Point Kohuratahi Woody Head Glenbrook S EA Okau Taharoa Whale Bay Manu Bay Otehe Point Awamarino

Awakino Ngarunui Beach Nikau Cave Whareorino Waikawau Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Te Toto Waiuku Herangi Range Te Maika Otaua Gorge Forest Hot Springs Ruapuke Moeatoa Te Waitere Taharoa Forest Waiuku Te Puia Lake Aka River Beach 40 Te Anga Marokopa ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲ ᝲ Te Akau Ocean Beach Harbour Mt Karioi Railway Vintage Glenbrook Kawhia Falls (63km) To Stratford Harbour Marokopa (756m) Waikato Reserve Aotea Piripiri Waitaanga Kinohaku Kawhia Scenic Caves WAITOMO Mangaparo River Mokau River Mahoenui Matira 43 Paemako Waikaretu 3 Tatu Waiharakeke Puni Te Mata Dunmore Harbour Murray

Mairoa Raglan R Raglan Pukekawa

Bridal VeilFalls

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

Te Kauwhata

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

Rangitoto Ranges Orakau Wetland Mangatarata O-Tainui Koputal Reserve 41 Matangi Morrinsville Forest Park Waitakaruru Hoe- Wairehu Ngatea Pureora Monavale Pipiroa Barryville Wharepapa Hauhungaroa Forest Park Canal 26 Cambridge Pureora Moerangi South Mt Maungatautari ᎊ ᎊ (1078m)

Otamangakau Hauhungaroa Range

27 Pureora Orongo

River Arohena Piako 1 Tatuanui Tahuna 47 Lake ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ (797m) Maungatautari Karapiro Karapiro Awaiti Pureora (1165m) Ecological Waipapa Te Puninga Lake Rotongata Junction Kuratau Island Titiraupenga Turua Kopu (1042m) Mangakino Te Aroha Tokaanu 30 32 Matatoki Arapuni Waitoa Kuratau Matamata Puriri Arapuni Lake Tirohia Lake Piarere Hinuera 41 26 Hikutaia Waipap Lake Rotoaira Lake Waihou Ngaura Tirau Tihoi Paeroa Mangaiti 27 Lichfield

20km 10miles 0 0 Arataki River Waihou 25 Whangamata Coromandel Waiharakeke Forest Park Airfield Matamata Rangipo Tokoroa (952m) Mt TeAroha Turangi Whakamaru Te Poi Whakamaru Putaruru Maraetai Lake Kaimai Mamaku Waikino 32 Waihi Lake Taupo 24 Shaftesbury Lake Forest Park 28

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ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ Waiomou Motuoapa Range Kaimai 1 Tapapa Selwyn Te Rangita 25 Acacia Bay Taupo Airport Atiamuri Mokai Kinloch Tokoroa Airfield Kaimai Mamaku 30 Wharawaka Mamaku Forest Atiamuri Upper Waitahanui 2 Forest Park Golden Valley Whiritoa Katikati To Tauranga Tauranga Aongatete Harbour Taupo Apata To Rotorua Wairakei Beach Waihi Omokoroa Mamaku Bay of Hatepe Plenty Kinleith 5 Athenree Te Puna Atiamuri Forest 29 Point Ongare (18km) Lake (8km) 1 30