Central Whirinaki Hut - Upper Whirinaki Track - Pukahunui Track

I’ve always believed that the most beautiful parts of a forest are never near a road end and I’m yet to be proven wrong. Most of the track barely fit a solo hiker, overgrown and at times did give way beneath me and sent me sliding down to the river. Climbing back up a steep, crumbly, muddy riverbank is never fun (not to mention bloody exhausting), so after a couple of unplanned river dips, I decided my safety was more important than a bed at the hut. On the plus side, the track was marked a lot better than I expected.

I didn’t come across another hiker that day, quite the introvert’s dream really. If Sharon and Katherine did end up finishing the circuit, they would have reached the Pukahunui/Upper Te Hoe junction after me before I didn’t see them again.

After covering about 15km and still nowhere near the Pukahunui/Upper Te Hoe junction, I accepted that I wouldn’t make it to Upper Te Hoe hut that night. I would keep walking as far as my legs could handle while keeping an eye out for a suitable camp spot. I did come across a camping spot from a previous hiker, but I wasn’t quite ready to stop then. Thinking about it, it was actually perfect - it had flat ground, near a stream and even had a place for an open fire.

SH35 East Coast summer road trip 2025

The tall fella and I had been talking about doing the SH35 East Coast road trip ever since we first started dating. He was working in retail then and wanted to do it in two days, but that meant we would spend most of the time in the car. What’s the point in that? No thanks. We compromised and made it three days, spending two nights in Te Puia Springs.

From our home in Edgecumbe, it’s just under three hours’ drive to Gisborne via the Waioeka Gorge. Over the three days we clocked about 700km to do the SH35 loop, stopping in Gisborne, Tatapouri, Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Te Puia Springs, Waipiro Bay, Tikitiki, Te Araroa, Hicks Bay, Raukokore and Te Kaha.

Ngatuhoa Lodge: Adventures down a gravel road

I had planned an overnight camp at Ngatuhoa Lodge to explore three waterfalls that weekend: Te Rere i Oturu, Ngatuhoa and Tauwharawhara. Betty, my trusty RAV4, have been down some gnarly gravel roads in our time together. The drive into the lodge had some hairy blind corners, but as far as gravel and forestry roads go, it wasn’t that bad. Bumpy enough that your passengers are best to save sipping a cold one for later, but also in the words of a 1-star Google review, “...the drive into the camp was horrendous so don't take a new car here!”

Ngatuhoa Lodge is on public conservation land in the Kaimai Mamaku Forest, but access is through private forestry roads. Don’t just rock up, there’s a large locked gate about 20-30 minutes drive from the lodge. There’s little to no mobile reception in the area, so make sure to organise key access before you go. To make your booking and organise key access, go to ngatuhoa.org.nz | Google maps: Ngatuhoa Lodge

This was a solo adventure, a pre-Christmas hike chasing waterfalls and to get a baseline for my current lack of hike-fitness. It was also the first day of New Zealand’s summer, but the constant drizzle and a few heavy downpours reminded me more of the rainy season in a tropical country. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Te Rere i Oturu this time round as the rain would have made river levels rise and there were several river crossings on the track. You can also access the falls by driving 5km from the lodge down a gravel road.

Karangahake Loop: Dickey’s Flat - Dubbo 96 - Crown Track

There were a few campers braving the late autumn chill when we pulled into the Dickey’s Flat campground. Although I’ve never stayed there, it always seemed like a popular spot all year round. We started and finished our Karangahake Loop from the campground to add extra kilometres to our day and make the four hour return drive worthwhile. The loop was an 11km return trip, linking six walking tracks and took us just over four hours to return. There are tunnel sections along the tracks (the longest is around 200m) and a torch is recommended.

From the campground, we walked along the Crown Track until the Dubbo 96 junction. Dubbo 96 is a regenerating native forest that’s well marked and easy to follow. It climbs up to 280m in 2km, with the track pretty steady underfoot. There’s one easy stream crossing, but as long as there hasn’t been a lot of rain, you should be able to keep your socks dry rock hopping.

Three day hike in the Waioeka: Moanui - Koranga Forks - Tawa Loop

When you’re a townie like me, hiking in the backcountry always means driving a few hours. Usually down a gravel road with potholes, and the odd tree blocking the road. Moanui Road in the Waioeka Conservation Area had two out of three, luckily for me, it wasn’t a fallen tree because I don’t own a chainsaw yet. The carpark and start of the Moanui-Koranga Forks-Tawa Loop is about a 40 minute drive from Waioeka Gorge Road and then Te Wera Road turn-off. You can get through the gravel road on a 2WD drive, but the potholes can be pretty unforgiving to a low-riding bumper.

I started my walk around 11am - fortunately it was overcast with a lovely breeze so I didn’t have to suffer the midday heat. The Moanui Track starts off on farmland as it follows the Koranga River. The bush sections are well graded and marked (orange triangles), while the open farmland had large, yellow wooden posts. Some sections narrowed down to double my boot width with steep drop offs, but as long as you watch your step, it’s fairly easy to get through. These are working farms, so keep your distance from livestock and leave gates as you find them (or follow instructions on signs).

Here's why Mount Tauhara is definitely worth the climb

Mount Tauhara is a 65,000 year old dormant lava dome volcano, the gentle giant that stands as gatekeeper to Lake Taupō. The 2.5km track to the summit (1,088m/3,570ft) is popular with locals and visitors alike. At the top, the tall fella and I were treated to panoramic views of the district, and even as far as the peaks of Tongariro National Park.

After a weekend of foodie indulgence for our anniversary, a walk up Mount Tauhara was a must-do before heading home to Whakatāne. After downing coffees and bacon butties at the Sunday market (Aaron was stoked that the butties came with HP sauce), we drove the 10 minutes out of Taupō to the Mount Tauhara carpark. The car park is at the end of Mountain Road, just before a gated working farm.