Make the time to stop for gems
Until recently, I couldn’t say I was a big fan of the Karangahake Gorge. As easy on the eye as the rushing river that runs through it may be, more often than not cars would be bumper to bumper on long weekends. And its twists and turns literally made me sick.
Waiting what felt like an eternity to be done with it en route to beachy parts of the Bay of Plenty or back home to Auckland though, I’d often find myself gazing out with envy at those cooling off in its calmer stretches. As far as natural swimming holes go, it’s pretty hard to beat.
So, in the mood for a road trip one sunny summer weekend, I decided to drive the 120 kilometres or so to the start of some of its most popular walks.
Within 10 minutes of setting out along the popular Windows Walk, I was infinitely glad I’d made the effort. I’d crossed a photogenic suspension bridge, passed through abandoned buildings dating from gold rush days, and inched my way along tunnels that opened out on to views that seemed out of this world – or at least a long way from Auckland. Think paths carved into craggy, near-vertical cliffs across the river from bush so thick you could pretend you were in the Amazon.
Beginning with a walk through a kilometre-long former rail tunnel, the historic walkway to the tiny town of Waikino – with a cute old-school pub and railway station cafe – was just as wonderful, particularly the stop at the triple-streamed Owharoa Falls (ideal for a dip after a sweaty hike or bike ride).
If you’re hungry, Falls Retreat up the road has fine wood-fired pizzas, and the historic Waikino Hotel specialises in what it calls ‘‘homestyle soul food’’. Picture fish and chips, burgers, and steak and cheese pies so big that the presumably ravenous gold miners who used to visit after a hard day’s work would probably have struggled to finish them. Who would have thought such natural, historic and gastronomic delights could be found just 15 minutes from downtown Paeroa?
But it seems I’m not the only one who has made the mistake of charging to their destination as fast as the traffic and speed limits will allow, blinking and missing hidden gems en route. On pages 26-27, Brook Sabin details his discoveries in Cambridge, a town he had only previously driven through. It’s a bit like Queenstown, he says. Without the mountains.