GO with the FLOW
Tu¯rangi provides the perfect base camp for the great central North Island outdoors, Mike Yardley discovers
BACKDROPPED by the forest-clad Kaimanawa Ranges and Tongariro National Park, and gracing the shoreline of Lake Taupo¯, Tu¯rangi is a year-round base camp for sublime outdoorsy adventure.
It’s home to one of the most iconic regional experiences, Tongariro River Rafting, owned and operated by Garth and Leigh Oakden. Garth has been a rafting guide on the Tongariro for more than 30 years, he knows these waters and surrounding land like the back of his hand.
Alongside riding Tongariro’s rapids, you can opt for the Blue Duck river tour, which gives you a first-hand insight into the triumphant rebound of the blue duck
(whio) population on this river, who’ve been riding the rapids for thousands of years.
They’re the face of New Zealand’s $10 notes and one of only three species worldwide who live year-round in fastflowing rivers such as the Tongariro.
Their huge, oversized webbed feet allow them to navigate the Tongariro’s rapids like Olympic champions. Unlike other endangered birds, they can’t be relocated to predator-free sanctuary islands, because long, turbulent rivers are their prime habitat.
In 1945, they were labelled “functionally extinct”. Increasingly concerned about their endangered status, Garth co-founded the Blue Duck Project in 2008, which has been a runaway success story in Tu¯rangi.
It is dedicated to improving the whio’s habitat by trapping its predators — most notably the stoat and rat. There’s been a phenomenal 1200 per cent increase in the whio population on the river since 2008.
You’ll even see plenty of them in the river as it snakes through town. Garth’s sister company, Tongariro Mountain Biking, delivers kick-ass MTB experiences across the region and their guided experiences blend fantastic tracks and trails with commanding local insights and hospitality. Their latest MTB product is being billed as the ultimate private e-bike wilderness adventure.
Not only does this riveting pursuit zip you up and down rolling hills and the high plateaus of this mountainous backcountry, you’ll be hosted for a night in a supremely secluded lodge, where the creature comforts are laid on thick, as you marvel over the escapist landscape in this 10,000-acre (4047ha) private block of verdant hinterland. The exhilarating steep descents as I hurtled down hillsides took particular discipline to keep full control.
From start to finish, the views are beyond breath-taking, with the added amusement of hundreds of red deer freeroaming the land. Bambi and friends came into close view within minutes of setting off on the trail.
The tracks you ride on are decades-old logging tracks, left untouched for years. Needless to say, these are not purpose-built, well-groomed MTB tracks — I encountered a heady spectrum of surfaces including gravel, mud, rotten logs and grass on the twisting and turning trails, complete with river crossings for an added frisson. From Baker’s Ridge, the high and wide skyline panorama across to the volcanic peaks is sigh-inducing. Since the logging days, the forest has regenerated spectacularly.
Native bush clings to the sides of the precipitous cliffs and walls of deeply riven valleys, while pristine water glides by in chatty streams and rivers. In the higher reaches, I routinely found myself stopping to pause and listen.
All around is a bush-covered silence, punctuated only by native bird-call. Kereru¯ soar above the trees, melodious tu¯¯ı and bellbirds serenade all day and you’ll hear the striking call of kiwi at night. Far from being impenetrable, there are areas where the bush has been cleared and grass sown, as is the case where the lodge is laid. It’s a knock-out setting which seems to breathe easily with its wraparound grandeur. From the lodge, it’s like a natural balcony as you can stare down the deep bush-clad ravine to the dramatic gorge.
The lodge boasts individual chalets and rooms, ensuring your own space, and a shared living area, kitchen, dining room and a wood burner for the cooler nights.
There’s a large relaxing deck with plenty of seating and a prime spot for star-gazing. Garth cooked me up the most salivating venison burgers, as I reflected on my adrenalin-pumping wilderness ride.
Off-the-grid, immersive adventure in excelsis. Tu¯rangi might only be half an hour away, but this truly feels like a world removed, as you savour 10,000 acres of blissed-out backcountry.