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Top Attractions in Waikato

Waiotapu

Waiotapu is an active geothermal area at the southern end of the Okataina Volcanic Centre, just north of the Reporoa caldera, in New Zealands Taupo Volcanic Zone. It is 27 kilometres south of Rotorua. Due to dramatic geothermal conditions beneath the earth, the area has many hot springs noted for their colourful appearance, in addition to the Lady Knox Geyser, Champagne Pool, Artists Palette, Primrose Terrace and boiling mud pools. These can mostly be viewed through access by foot, and in addition to a paid and curated experience, naturally forming hot springs appear around the area. The geothermal area covers 18 square kilometres. Prior to European occupation the area was the homeland of the Ngati Whaoa tribe who descended from those on the Arawa waka . The area has a long history as a tourist attraction. While the area has been protected as a scenic reserve since 1931, a tourist operation occupies part of the reserve under a concession. It operates under the name "Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland". The business was bought in 2012 by Te Arawa Group Holdings, a local Maori tribal business, from the Sewell/Leinhardt family, who had run it for 30 years.

Whangapoua

Whangapoua is a small settlement of mostly holiday houses on the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand. It is situated 25 minutes drive east over the Coromandel Range from Coromandel along the northeastern coastline encompassing popular white sand beaches New Chums Beach, Matarangi, Kuaotunu Beach and Otama Beach. Amenities in Whangapoua include a small wharf and boat ramp, and a general store that also supplies petrol and diesel. The nearby estuary provides further water access for boats. Whangapoua Beach is a safe 1.5 km long sandy swimming beach flanked in the north by the rocky foreshore towards Motuto Point and by Te Rehutae Point in the southeast. The northern end of Whangapoua Beach is the starting point of a partly unformed track to New Chums Beach that beach is only accessible via this track or by boat. The nearest school is in Te Rerenga. Whangapoua's Māori history dates back to the 13th century. A reserve at Opera Point, east of Whangapoua, contains the remains of the Raukawa pa site. European settlers started arriving in the 1860s, drawn to the area chiefly for kauri milling and gold mining. Today, Whangapoua is spread along behind the beach and consists of about 120 permanent residents, but can swell to over 1000 with holiday residents during the most popular holiday period from late December to February.

Coromandel

Coromandel may refer to: Places; Coromandel, New Zealand, a town on the Coromandel Peninsula Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand Coromandel (New Zealand electorate) Coromandel Coast, India Presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements Dutch Coromandel Coromandel, KGF, Karnataka, India Coromandel, Minas Gerais, a Brazilian municipality Coromandel, Mauritius Coromandel Valley, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide Vessels HMS Coromandel, one of four former ships of the British Royal Navy Coromandel (ship): a number of merchant vessels have also been named Coromandel Other Coromandel International, an Indian corporation Coromandel railway station, on the Belair railway line in Blackwood, South Australia Coromandel!, 1955 historical novel by John Masters Coromandel screen, an item of furniture

Mangapohue Natural Bridge

The Mangapohue Natural Bridge consists of two rock arches formed by the Mangapohue Stream in the Marokopa River valley near Waitomo, New Zealand. The 17 m high limestone arches are a remnant of an ancient cave system. The smaller lower rock arch spans the Mangapohue Stream and cannot be walked through, while the larger upper arch is situated straight above the lower arch and contains a platform to view the stalactites on the upper archs ceiling. The arches can be reached by the sealed Te Anga Road from State Highway 3 approximately 25 km west of the Waitomo Caves. From the carpark, the wheelchair-friendly walk takes 5 minutes to reach the natural bridge. The walk leads through a scenic limestone gorge, crossing the stream once on a timber bridge, and ending at a viewing platform below the rock arches. Steps lead to a further viewing platform between the lower and upper arch. A track also continues some 15 minutes further over farmland.

Turua

Turua is a small village community located on the banks of the Waihou River in the Hauraki Plains, southeast of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. Turua is a Maori place name meaning "twice seen," referring to reflections in the river. Before European settlement, the town site was a Maori pā surrounded by vast forests of kahikatea that came to be known as the "Turua Woods." In the late 19th century the village of Turua became one of the most important sites of kahikatea exploitation in New Zealand when the family of George and Martha Bagnall bought the Turua sawmill in 1875. Over the next forty years the stands of kahikatea surrounding the town were replaced by small family farms. In 2006 there were 441 households in Turua, with an enrolment of 184 students in the Turua Primary School.

Raglan

Raglan may refer to: Places: Raglan, Monmouthshire, a large village in Wales Raglan Castle, a late medieval castle just north of the village Raglan , a division of the traditional county of Monmouthshi Raglan, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia County of Raglan, a cadastral division in Queensland, Australia Raglan, Queensland, a town in Gladstone Region, Australia Raglan, Victoria, a town in Australia Raglan, Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada Raglan, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario, a hamlet in Oshawa, Canada Raglan Mine, a nickel mining complex in northern Quebec, Canada Raglan, New Zealand, a town on the west coast of North Island Raglan , a former parliamentary electorate centred on the town Other uses: Baron Raglan, a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Raglan (surname) Raglan Squire (1912-2004), British architect HMS Raglan, a First World War I Royal Navy monitor named after the 1st Baron Raglan sleeve, a type of clothing sleeve popular in sports and exercise wear which took its name from the 1st Baron

Karangahake

The Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River. State Highway 2 passes through this gorge between the towns of Paeroa, Waikino and Waihi. This road is the main link between the Waikato region and the Bay of Plenty. The East Coast Main Trunk Railway used to run through the gorge until it was bypassed by the Kaimai Deviation. The Karangahake Gorge section of the line, including a 1100-metre tunnel, is now a combined walkway and cycleway, part of the Hauraki Rail Trail, and together with the natural sights of the gorge, makes it into a well-visited local tourist attraction. The railhead at the Waikino end of the gorge still exists, preserved as part of the Goldfields Railway to Waihi. At Karangahake, several walks and tracks ranging from 30 minutes to over 2 hours start at the Karangahake Reserve car park and picnic area. One of the most spectacular walks in the area is the "Windows Walk", a loop walk that leads through the old gold mining tunnels of the Talisman Mine, crosses the Waitawheta River over a suspension bridge, and joins the Crown Tramway Track back along the cliffs of the Waitawheta Gorge. The path follows the route of a bush tramway and passes by "windows" in the cliff face at the end of mining tunnels, which were used to tip tailings down into the Waitawheta Gorge. Two of the mining tunnels, which are about 2 metres tall and wide, are safe to enter. They end abruptly after about 50 metres and are home to glowworms and cave weta. The Woodstock Underground Pumphouse in the Waitawheta Gorge is also still accessible via a short detour from the Crown Tramway Track.

Ruakuri Cave

Ruakuri Cave is the longest underground cave in the Waitomo area of New Zealand. It was first discovered by local Māori between 400 and 500 years ago. The name Ruakuri, or “den of dogs” was created when wild dogs were discovered making their home in the cave entrance some 300 years later. The cave entrance was used by the Maori as an urupa or burial site. It is this sacred area that has now been protected with the construction of the impressive spiral drum entrance some distance away. Ruakuri is the only wheelchair-accessible cave in the Southern Hemisphere. It is well known for its spiritual links to Māori and its unusual limestone formations and caverns. Major features of the Ruakuri Cave include Holdens Cavern (named after James Holden who first opened the cave to the public), The Drum Passage, The Pretties and The Ghost Passage. The cave was open to the public from 1904 until 1988, when it was closed due to a legal and financial dispute. It was reopened in 2005. Inside there is a dynamic natural environment, with glowworms, limestone formations, underground rivers, and hidden waterfalls.

Lake Karapiro

Lake Karapiro is an artificial reservoir lake on the Waikato River, 30 kilometres south-east of the city of Hamilton in New Zealands North Island. The lake was formed in 1947 by damming the Waikato River to store water for the 96-megawatt Karapiro hydroelectric power station. The lake, regarded as one of New Zealands best rowing venues, hosted the World Rowing Championships in 1978 and 2010, as well as the rowing events for the 1950 British Empire Games. Lake Karapiro alternates with the South Islands Lake Ruataniwha in hosting the New Zealand national rowing championships and the New Zealand secondary school rowing championships . "A FISA inspection panel had visited Lake Karapiro venue in March and said in its report that it was one of the fairest courses in the world they had seen and that the lake was one of the most picturesque in the world."

Rangipo Desert

Rangipo Desert is a barren desert-like environment in New Zealand, located in the Ruapehu District on the North Island Volcanic Plateau; to the east of the three active peaks of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Ruapehu, and to the west of the Kaimanawa Range. The Rangipo Desert receives 1,500-2,500 mm of rainfall per year, but resembles a desert because of a poor soil quality and drying winds, and also due to the mass sterilization of seeds during a series of violent eruptions, particularly ignimbrite flows about 20,000 years ago. The vegetation is low and sparse, consisting of mainly tussock and snow grasses. The headwaters of many small streams, which later turn into large rivers, gouge deep serrated valleys through the unconsolidated ash and pumice-rich earth. The climate here is harsh and alpine, with close to 270 ground frosts per year in comparison with less than 30 in the coastal regions of Hawke's Bay, 80 km to the east. Heavy snowfalls rarely seen in the rest of the island are also a common occurrence in winter. Trampers and climbers in the area should be mindful of the extreme chill effect of the cold south wind which can produce wind chill factors lowering the temperature below zero for days on end. Much of the desert lies at an altitude of over 600 m , and a considerable proportion of it is over 1,000 m above sea level. Due to the unproductive nature of the land and the extreme winter climate, the region is largely uninhabited. The town of Waiouru, with its army camp, lies to the south and much of the southern part of the desert is used for training purposes. To the north of the desert lies the Rangipo prison farm. Many of the North Island's largest rivers have their headwaters in the area, particularly around the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, the North Island's highest mountain. These include the Waikato and Whangaehu Rivers, as well as major tributaries of the Rangitikei and Whanganui Rivers. The desert is bisected by only one sealed road, a section of State Highway 1 known as the Desert Road. The road is closed for short periods most winters with barriers arms due to severe snow storms and icy road conditions. Turangi emergency services monitor the northern part of the Desert Road and the NZ army at Waiouru is responsible for the southern end. The Lord of the Rings films were shot in New Zealand, and the Black Gate of Mordor scenes were shot in the Rangipo Desert in 2000.

New Chums Beach

New Chums Beach is a beach in the Wainuiototo Bay on the northeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, near Whangapoua. The northeast-facing beach is accessible only by boat or via a 30 minute walk on a party unformed track along the coast from the estuary at the northern end of Whangapoua Beach. New Chums Beach is flanked to the north by the 171 m tall Pukenui and to the southeast by the rocky Motuto Point rising to 85 m. The hills behind the 1 km long idyllic white-sand beach are undeveloped and covered in native bush, adding to its unspoiled appeal. In 2006, New Chums Beach was named one of the top 20 deserted beaches in the world by Britains The Observer and highly rated by Lonely Planet and National Geographic. In 2010, plans were drawn up to develop 20 houses, a boatshed and ramp on land owned by a Queenstown developer. These were met with considerable resistance, leading to various campaigns to save the beach and surrounding land from any development, as it is one of the last sizable undeveloped beaches in the area.

Kopu Bridge

The Kopu Bridge is a single-lane swing bridge that spans the Waihou River, near its emergence into the Firth of Thames in the Thames-Coromandel District of New Zealands North Island. The bridge was completed in 1928 and was part of State Highway 25. The swinging span in the middle of the bridge is 43 metres long and with an overall length of 463 metres, the bridge was the longest and oldest single lane bridge within the state highway network. As the first available crossing of the Waihou River and the main link between the Hauraki Plains and Coromandel Peninsula, it sees a lot of traffic, especially during holidays. Due to a gradual increase in the traffic between Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, by the early 1990s the bridge became the most heavily used single lane bridge in the country, with traffic volumes of an average of 9,000 vehicles per day. Traffic flow over the bridge was controlled by traffic lights and the bridge was notorious for queues which formed during peak times such as holiday weekends, when three hours delay were common. Rarely used as boat traffic declined in the latter years before it was closed to traffic, the swing span could still be opened to provide a 15.3 m wide channel to passing vessels. The bridge is the only surviving road bridge of the swing span type in the country and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust lists the bridge as a Category 1 historic place, while it is also on the IPENZ Engineering Heritage Register. In December 2011 a new two-lane bridge opened directly to the south of the old bridge which has been retained for historical reasons.

Mount Pirongia

Mount Pirongia is an extinct volcano located in the Waikato region of New Zealands North Island. It rises to 959 metres and is the highest peak in the Waikato region. It was active in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene times. Pirongias many peaks are basaltic cones created by successive volcanic eruptions about 2.5 million years ago. In the picture to the right, the characteristic profile of the mountain can be seen, along with a prominent accessory cone to the right . Maori people have a strong connection to Mount Pirongia. It was first named "Pirongia te aroaro o Kahu" the scented pathway of Kahu by a Tohunga of the Tainui canoe to honour his wife. To preserve the heritage of Mount Pirongia Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society Inc was formed in 2002 as a result of deep-seated community interest in its ecological restoration. Mount Pirongia is located 22 kilometres to the west of Te Awamutu and eight kilometres from the small settlement of Pirongia, and lies in the Pirongia Forest Park. It is clearly visible from the Tasman Sea, being just 25 kilometres from the coast at Aotea Harbour. Mount Pirongia is a popular place for hunters from Hamilton seeking a quick day trip hunt, holding several feral goat herds on its bush-clad slopes. Rumours abound about small numbers of red deer released by farmers after an earlier deer farming boom went bust. Pirongia Forest Park is administered by the Waikato DoC office in Hamilton. Among the variety of plants and wildlife, Wood Rose or Dactylanthus taylorii, a rare and endangered parasitic flowering plant, can be found on the ridges of Mount Pirongia. Variety of podocarps are found at lower altitudes: rimu, totara, tawa and tree ferns. At higher altitudes the forest changes. Hardy plants like horopito and kamahi grow on exposed ridges, and near the summit there are mountain flax, coprosmas and ferns. Common birds are: fantails, kingfishers, kereru, tui, kereru, New Zealand falcons. Botanically, Mount Pirongia is also interesting area as it marks the transition between the warmth-loving kauri forest of the north and the beech and podocarp-beech forest in the south. The parks latitude is the naturally occurring southern limit for species such as kauri and mangeao. There are numerous tracks to the summit. Mahaukura Tirohanga Circuit is a longer distance but with a gradual climb. This track is well signposted with bright orange plastic markers, but considered difficult. It leads through many steep sections but gives excellent views from Wharauroa lookout, Mahaukura peak and Tirohanga peak. In winter and after rain the track becomes muddy and slippery. There are many narrow sections with a tangle of tree roots and rocks. There is a lookout platform on Pirongia summit from where it is possible to spot Mount Taranaki summit and Mount Ruapehu summit on a clear day. On the west side there are Kawhia and Raglan harbours.
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