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Swimming
Take a dip and enjoy the surrounds at one of our many superb beaches, lakes or rivers. |
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Urban-Rural |
 Mauao Mount Maunganui
The dominant feature of the Tauranga district, Mauao rises 232m above sea level at the Mount Maunganui side of the entrance to Tauranga Harbour. Mauao has been of great importance to local Maori for more than six centuries and habitation terraces, storage pits, defence
trenching, bank systems and shell middens are still visible. The British Militia made
military use of Mauao in colonial days. Traces of their occupation are visible around the
base track.
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Tuapiro Point
Tuapiro Point is a small sandspit opposite the northern entrance to Tauranga Harbour.
The end of the sandspit has great views of the harbour and provides a resting place for
estuary wildlife.
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McLaren Falls Park
The park borders Lake McLaren, formed behind a dam built for hydro-electricity generation.
The landscape includes parkland and native bush. McLaren Falls has a fine botanical collection
of trees and a range of birdlife, including the North Island brown kiwi, North Island robin
and long-tailed cuckoo.The park has accommodation, with camping on any open, grassed area, except Cherry Bay,and three hostels. Trout fishing is permitted year round in the lake and nearby Ruahihi Canal
with a licence. An animal park adjoins McLaren Falls Park.
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Te Waihou Walkway
Scenic beauty and history are features of the walkway, beside the upper reaches of the Waihou River. The river water is clear and pure, with an intense blue colour. Many springs and tributaries feed the river. The Blue Spring is internationally acclaimed. Its clear, blue-green water flows from the spring at 42 cubic metres (9240 gallons) per minute. The water is sold in bottled form around New Zealand and supplies the town of Putaruru without treatment.
Discover it... Love it... Live it...
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Kaimai-Mamaku |
McLaren Falls Park
The park borders Lake McLaren, formed behind a dam built for hydro-electricity generation.
The landscape includes parkland and native bush. McLaren Falls has a fine botanical collection
of trees and a range of birdlife, including the North Island brown kiwi, North Island robin
and long-tailed cuckoo.The park has accommodation, with camping on any open, grassed area, except Cherry Bay,and three hostels. Trout fishing is permitted year round in the lake and nearby Ruahihi Canal
with a licence. An animal park adjoins McLaren Falls Park.
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Hendersons Tramline
Hendersons Tramline loop track follows the route of bush tramlines and haul lines once used to extract logs from the bush.The walk includes forest and clearings near the fringe of the park. A side track off the main walk leads down to the base of a waterfall and a large swimming hole.
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Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park
The 37,000ha forest park is a living museum of natural and human history.The park marks the northern limit of kamahi, red and silver beech,and the southern limit of the huge kauri. Birdlife includes the fantail, North Island Robin, kereru (native pigeon), waxeye or silver-eye, tui and tomtit. Kiwi and morepork (ruru) can sometimes be heard at night, the North Island kaka is a rare sight, and the shining cuckoo and bellbird are more often heard than seen. Maori established routes across the Kaimai Ranges for trading and raiding. Later,these trails were used by Europeans. The introduction of logging and mining had a substantial impact on areas of the park which are clearly visible in the form of caves, tramlines and remnants of kauri.
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Karangahake Gorge
The Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway follows the old Paeroa-Waihi railway line
through the gorge above the Ohinemuri River.It passes historical features associated with the
gold fields. Beside the walkway can be seen the remains of mine buildings and machinery,
including stamper batteries used to extract gold from quartz. The walkway gives a fascinating
glimpse of the history of a major gold producing area that operated from 1875 to 1952.
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Lakes And Geothermal |
Okareka Walkway
The 2.5km Okareka walkway is part of a continuing community revegetation project aimed at improving lake water quality and re-establishing wildlife habitats. A 500m boardwalk provides assisted wheelchair access to the wetland area of the walk.
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Butchers Pool
This free hot water mineral pool is located 1.8 kilometers south of Reporoa on Broadlands Road(entrance is signposted from Broadlands Road).
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McLaren Falls Park
The park borders Lake McLaren, formed behind a dam built for hydro-electricity generation.
The landscape includes parkland and native bush. McLaren Falls has a fine botanical collection
of trees and a range of birdlife, including the North Island brown kiwi, North Island robin
and long-tailed cuckoo.The park has accommodation, with camping on any open, grassed area, except Cherry Bay,and three hostels. Trout fishing is permitted year round in the lake and nearby Ruahihi Canal
with a licence. An animal park adjoins McLaren Falls Park.
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Blue Lake
The Blue Lake (Tikitapu) is one of the closest, lakes to Rotorua. Its clear blue waters are popular with water skiers, swimmers and boaties. An easy walking track circles the lake taking in beautiful beaches, native bush and the exotic conifers of Whakarewarewa Forest. There are good views over Blue Lake and the nearby Green Lake (Rotokakahi).
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Lake Okataina Scenic Reserve
The Lake Okataina area was an important link in pre-European routes, when canoes were carried from Lake Tarawera to Lake Okataina.Okataina Road follows one of these ancient portage routes.
The Lake Okataina Scenic Reserve is a pristine natural area with native bush down to the waters edge. The reserve is rich in birdlife and contains fine examples of rimu, totara, rata and kahikatea.
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Lake Rerewhakaaitu Recreational Reserves
Lake Rerewhakaaitu is a site of special wildlife interest. It supports breeding populations of
dabchicks, scaup and the largest breeding population of banded dotterel in the Rotorua
Ecological District.
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Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve
The 1886 eruption, which killed 153 people and raised the lake surface by 12m, shaped the
Tarawera landscape. The lake drains eastward through the Tarawera River, over spectacular
falls. The reserve contains walking tracks and many recreational and cultural sites,
including those at Tarawera Landing, The Orchard, Humphries Bay and Hot Water Beach.
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Coastal |
Mauao Mount Maunganui
The dominant feature of the Tauranga district, Mauao rises 232m above sea level at the Mount Maunganui side of the entrance to Tauranga Harbour. Mauao has been of great importance to local Maori for more than six centuries and habitation terraces, storage pits, defence
trenching, bank systems and shell middens are still visible. The British Militia made
military use of Mauao in colonial days. Traces of their occupation are visible around the
base track.
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The Nga Tapuwae O Toi Walkway (Ohope Scenic Reserve)
Translated as ‘the footprints of Toi the 16 kilometres of walkways on the outskirts of
Whakatane are accessible to most people,regardless of fitness, because they can be walked
in sections or as one round trip. Nga Tapuwae o Toi visits three major scenic reserves and a
historic reserve. The walkway passes through native and exotic forest, and along coastline
and riverbank.In Ngati Awa oral tradition Toi was a great chief,descendant of the legendary
voyager Tiwakawaka and founder of a great tribe. The walkway visits Toi stronghold
Kapu-te-rangi overlooking Whakatane. The walkway crosses Kohi Point Scenic Reserve,
Ohope Beach, travels through the Ohope Scenic Reserve pohutukawa forest, across remnants
of native forest to the regenerating flora of Mokorua Bush Scenic Reserve.
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Bowentown Domain
Bowentown Domain is a beautiful reserve of 128 hectares on a rocky headland at the
northern entrance to Tauranga Harbour. The headland has several important Maori pa sites,
as it was much sought after as a living area in early times. The Te Ho pa site on the eastern
headland has magnificent views. Te Kura a Maiapa site is on the southern headland.
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Kauri Point Historic Reserve
Kauri Point has historic Maori pafortifications and trenches, as well as superb
examples of pohutukawa trees fringing the shore. Kauri Point jetty extends 196 metres
out into Tauranga Harbour and is a popular fishing spot.
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Western Whakatane Coastal Reserves
The Matata Wildlife Reserve, Matata Recreation Reserve and the Thornton Wildlife Management
Reserve make up the Western Whakatane Coastal Recreation reserves.
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Tuhua (Mayor Island)
Tuhua (Mayor Island) is
an ancient volcano, once
prized, quarried and
fought over for it's
valuable black glossy
obsidian, now safe-haven
for some of New Zealand's
most threatened native
species. The adjacent
Tuhua Marine Reserve is
renowned for its high
water quality, diversity
of deep sea and sub-
tropical fish species and
stunning geological
features.
The island is classified
as a Wildlife Refuge and
administered by the Tuhua
Trust Board, whom
represent the owners and
are working in
partnership with the
Department of
Conservation to restore
the island as close as
possible to it's original
state.
Visitors are welcome on
the island by prior
arrangement and are asked
to follow a few rules and
biosecurity precautions,
so that the island's
natural beauty, pest-free
status and unique
inhabitants are
protected.
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