© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 221 Waikato & the King Country If the colour green had a homeland this would be it. Verdant fields give way to rolling hills in the countryside around New Zealand’s mightiest river, the Waikato. Visitors from southern England might wonder why they bothered leaving home, especially in quaint towns like Cambridge where every effort has been made to replicate the ‘mother country’. It’s little wonder that Peter Jackson chose the Waikato as the bucolic Shire in his movie adaptation of Lord of the Rings. But this veneer of conspicuous Englishness only partly disguises another reality. Move over hobbits, this is Tainui country. This powerful coalition of related tribes joined with others to elect a king in the 1850s to resist the loss of their land and sovereignty. Although the fertile Waikato was taken from them by war, they retained control of the limestone crags and forests of what became known as the King Country to within a whisper of the 20th century. The back roads along the coast still contain tiny outposts of Maoridom, echoes of an earlier era. Today’s visitors can experience first-hand the area’s genteel/free-wheeling dichotomy. Adrenaline junkies will be drawn to the wild surf of Raglan or rough-and-tumble underground pursuits in the extraordinary Waitomo Caves, while others will warm to the more sedate delights of Te Aroha’s Edwardian thermal complex or Hamilton’s gardens. It’s the Waikato River that symbolises this best – in places idyllic lakes have been created by harnessing it to hydroelectric projects while elsewhere its mauri (life force) flows fast and free. THE KING COUNTRY THE KING COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS WAIKATO WAIKATO & Seeking subterranean thrills in the Wait- omo Caves (p 242 ) Hanging with the bronzed crowd while Te Aroha hanging-ten at Raglan (p 230 ) Raglan Hamilton Discovering your own bush-framed black- sand beach on the rugged west coast Kawhia Maungatautari (p 246 ) Ecological Island Pigging out on Maori culture at Kawhia Waitomo Caves Kai Festival (p 240 ) Soaking up ‘the love’ in the thermal waters West Coast of Te Aroha (p 239 ) Plotting a pub crawl in surprisingly buzzy Hamilton (p 228 ) Tramping through an inland island para- dise at Maungatautari (p 235 ) Telephone code: 07 www.waikatonz.co.nz www.kingcountry.co.nz 222 WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRYὈὈ lonelyplanet.com 0 20 km WAIKATO & THE KING COUNTRY 0 10 miles Waipipi Pukekohe To Auckland Orongo Kopu Glenbrook Mangatangi Pipiroa Matatoki Glenbrook (44km) Whangamata Vintage Pokeno Puriri Taurangaruru Railway Puni Maramarua Waiuku Kopoku Waitakaruru Turua Tuakau 2 Ngatea Waiharakeke Aka Aka R Mercer Otaua iver Hikutaia Meremere Whangamarino Mangatarata Whiritoa Waiuku Wetland Coromandel Forest Pukekawa Piako Waikato Management Torehape Forest Park Bay of ὈὈ1 Reserve ὈὈ26 Plenty Kaihere 25 Port Waikato River Te Kauwhata Paeroa Waihi Golden Valley Opuatia Patetonga Awaiti Lake Waihi Rangiriri Waikare 27 25 Beach Glen Waikino ᝲᝲMurrayᎊ KoputalᎊTirohia Lake Limestone Downs Wetland Athenree Whangape Management Kaimai Mamaku Ohinewai Reserve Mangaiti Forest Park Naike Lake Te Hoe Tahuna Rotongaro Ongare Nikau Cave Lake Kimihia Hoe- Waikaretu Te Aroha Mt Te Aroha Point Lake Waahi O-Tainui Kaimai Range Lake Hakanoa Te Puninga (952m) Katikati Matira Pepepe Huntly Waihou Tauranga Otehe Point ὈὈWaihou River ᝲᝲ Taupiri (287m) 2 Harbour Taupiri 22 Taupiri Waitoa Aongatete Mountain Hopuhopu Tatuanui Dunmore Walkway Shaftesbury Omokoroa Ngaruawahia Morrinsvilleᎊ Te Akau Glen Massey Gordonton Ngaura Apata Waingaro Te Puna Hot Springs 26 27 T A S M A N Four Brothers Matamataᝲᝲ Raglan To Tauranga Ocean Scenic Reserve Airfield S E A Beach Harbour (8km) Ohautira Newstead Ngarunui Beach Raglan Whatawhata Manu Bay Te Uku HAMILTON Matangi ὈὈ Temple View Matamata Whale Bay Mt Karioi 23 Tamahere 24 29 Kauroa Waipa River Woody Head (756m) Karamu Te Toto Te Mata Walkway Karamu Hamilton Te Poi Cambridge Gorge 3 Airport Bridal Veil Falls (274m) Hinuera 1 Karapiro Kaimai Mamaku Ruapuke Harapepe Ohaupo Forest Park Pirongia Monavale Piarere Selwyn Beach Lake Waiomou Aotea Makomako Forest Park Mangapiko Karapiro Te Rahu 28 Harbour Pirongia Maungatautari Te Awamutu Tirau Tapapa Mt Pirongia Ecological To Rotorua ᝲ Island Te Puia (959m) Rangiaowhia (18km) ὈὈὈ Mt MaungatautariὈὈ Hot Springs Kihikihi Orakau 5 Urawhitiki Kawhia Ngutunui (797m) Putaruru Kawhia 31 Point Tihiroa Arapuni Albatross Te Maika Harbour Hauturu Te Rauamoa Mamaku Point Te Waitere Waiharakeke Lichfield Rotongata Taharoa Kinohaku ᝲ Korakonui Wharepapa Piripiri Lake Kiokio South Taharoa Caves Otorohanga Lake 1 Scenic Arohena Arapuni Mamaku Forest Reserve Mangapohue Natural Bridge Waitomo Tokoroa Te Anga Caves AwamarinoὈὈScenic Reserve HangatikiὈ Tokoroa Airfield Waitomo Marokopa Marokopa Caves Lake ᝲᝲᝲᝲFalls Waipapa ᝲᝲKinleith Kiritehere Oparure Waipap 32 Tawarau Te Kuiti Forest Moeatoa Marokopa Forest Tirua Pakeho Upper 30 River Mairoa Lake Atiamuri Point Eight Mile Waiteti Mangakino Maraetai WAITOMO Junction Pureora Atiamuri Whareorino Forest Park Whakamaru NgarupupuᝲᝲForestᝲᝲ 30 ᝲᝲ30 Lake Point Atiamuri Waikawau Piopio Rangitoto Ranges Lake Paemako Aramatai Titiraupenga ὈὈὈKopaki Barryville Whakamaru (1042m) Aratoro Arataki 3 Aria Benneydale Pureora Mokai WAIKATO WAIKATO & Mahoenui Pureora ᝲᝲHerangiRiver Range (1165m) Mokauiti Mapiu THE KING COUNTRY THE KING COUNTRY Awakino Tihoi Awakino Pureora Wairakei Forest Park Manioroa Marae Kinloch Mokau Mangatupoto 32 Taupo ὈὈOngarue Mokau River Acacia Bay Matiere Wharawaka Tuhua Nihoniho Taupo Airport 40 Okahukura Hauhungaroa Range Tongaporutu Waitaanga Hauhungaroa Waitahanui Ohura (1078m) Lake Taupo Ahiti 40 4 Lake Okau 1 Taumarunui Kuratau 3 Mangaparo Hatepe 41 Moerangi Kuratau Piriaka Junction Tatu Tokirima ὈὈ41 Te Rangita To New Plymouth Te Maire Motuoapa (46km) 43 Lake Tokaanu Kirikau Otamangakau Owhango Turangi Wairehu Lake To Raurimu Spiral (4km); Canal To Stratford Rotoaira Tongariro National Park (11km); 47 KohuratahiὈ(63km) Ohakune (45km)ὈὈὈὈὈRangipo.