Hauraki Rail Trail 2022

YOUR FREE COPY

Guide 2022 2022 Guide

THAMES SCHOOL OF MINES

THAMES SCHOOL OF MINES opened in 1886 to maximise returns from the gold mines that shaped the Thames hillsides. Join the generations of students who walked through the doors and into a world of scientific innovation, deadly chemicals, and the potential for unimaginable fortunes.

Visitors can still walk the paths that revolutionised the gold mining industry in New Zealand alongside our knowledgeable guides.

“Just a 2km ride from the Wharf along the scenic foreshore bike trail.

Our bike rack is waiting!”

Open Wednesday to Sunday 10 to 4 pm Corner of Brown and Cochrane Streets, Thames 3500.

Phone: 07 868 6227 or Email: tsm@heritage.org.nz www.visitheritage.co.nz or Follow us on:•• •••••

OPEN 7 DAYS 21 SHAW ROAD/WAIHI BEACH 07 863 1346 DINNER BOOKINGS RECOMMENDED FLATWHITE.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/FLATWHITECAFE

FEELING A LITTLE WOBBLY ON THE BIKE? Or do you you just need a confidence boost?

Adult Cycle Skills workshops are a great way to be prepared and stay safe on the trail.

Workshops are held throughout the district and are supported by all three councils on the trail, just call to book a space or put your name down if the dates don’t suit.

2022 dates: • Pauanui • Thames • Morrinsville • Waihi • Coromandel • Matamata • Paeroa

12 Aug 28 Sept 21 Oct 10 Nov 17 Nov 2 Dec 9 Dec

Specific e-Bike only training: • • • • •

Whitianga Te Aroha Ngatea Thames Whangamata

7 Dec 8 Dec 10 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec

What You’ll gain…

• If you’re not as fit or skilled as you might

like to be, gain confidence and improve your skills

• Learn how to indicate and use hand

signals, negotiate roundabouts and intersections

• How to ‘be seen’ • The importance of a basic bike check and

how to do this

• Braking and changing gears • 83 per cent said the facilitators were

excellent

• 100 per cent rated the workshop as ‘fun

or really fun’

• What have you got to lose?!

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Hauraki Rail Trail

 

watch for drivers opening doors.

Claim the lane when the road width requires it, or Claim the road width for requires when the youlane needwhen to position yourself a turnit,oror when you need to position yourself for a turn or roundabout. roundabout.

Make eye contact with drivers Make eye contact with drivers Scan ahead for potential hazards i.e. pedestrians, Scan for potential i.e.you. pedestrians, dogs ahead or drivers who havehazards not seen Group sessions dogs or drivers who have not seen you. with maximum Group sessions Know the road rules and follow them. number 12, booking with of maximum Know the road rules and follow them. is essential! number of 12, booking Ride in as smooth a line as possible. is essential!

Ride in as smooth a line as possible.

Where possible, choose a safe route.

Where possible, choose a safe route.

Wear an approved helmet. Make sure it fits firmly Wear an approved helmet. suregets it fits firmlyor and keep it done up.

If yourMake helmets dented and keep it done up.

If your helmets gets dented broken in a crash or dropped heavily, replace it! or broken in a crash or dropped heavily, replace it!

FREE 2022 ADULT CYCLE SKILLS COURSES    

Coromandel  Matamata  Morrinsville   Ngatea   Paeroa Pauanui

Tairua Te Aroha Thames Waihi Whangamata Whitianga

Call to put your name down and our team will MORE INFORMATION contact you when the next course is available, e-Bikes welcome!

MORE INFORMATION For more technical bike tips see the NZTA cyclists road code: www.nzta.govt.nz How to stay safe when you are cycling You will need a For road worthy bike more technical bike tips see the NZTA cyclists road code: www.nzta.govt.nz Check out the www.nzta.govt.nz/walking-cycling-and-public-transport/cycling How to stay safe when you are cycling You need a road worthy bike and will an approved helmet What to look for to check your bike Check out the www.nzta.govt.nz/walking-cycling-and-public-transport/cycling and anwhat approved What to look for to check your bike Tohelmet find a group/club Learn ‘Pedal ready’ means in your region: www.cyclingnewzealand.nz Designed for adults who can ride a bike To find a group/club Learn what ‘Pedal ready’ means in your region: www.cyclingnewzealand.nz Designed for adults who can ride a bike For Hauraki Rail Trail status: www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz For Hauraki Rail Trail status: www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz To report a State Highway road hazard: 0800 44 44 49 Road Safety IS Phone Thames-Coromandel District Council on 07 868 0200 to book your space!

To report a State Highway road hazard: 0800 44 44 49 Road Safety IS Phone Thames-Coromandel District Council 07 868Thames-Coromandel 0200 to book your District space! Council:EVERYONE’S To report a local roadon hazard: 07 869 0200, Responsibility Hauraki District Council EVERYONE’S Responsibility To report a local road hazard: Thames-Coromandel District Council: 07 869 0200, Hauraki District Council: Matamata-Piako District Council: 07 884 0060 Matamata-Piako District Council: 07 884 0060

More Information:

For everyday riding tips: www.bikeready.govt.nz/adults/ tips-for-everyday-bike-ridingbeginners-to-advanced

For more technical bike tips see

NZTA cyclists road code: Check your bike regularly the - brakes, wheels, tyres, www.nzta.govt.nz chain, pedals, headset, crank, seat Check out:

Be safe, Beyour seen Be pedal ready www.nzta.govt.nz/walkingCheck bike regularly - brakes, wheels, tyres, cycling-and-public-transport/cycling Be safe, Be seen chain, pedals, headset, crank, seat Regularly check behind you Be predictable Check your bike regularly - brakes, wheels, tyres,

chain,Be pedals, headset, crank, seat pedal ready Be courteous Be pedal ready Regularly check behind you Be prepared

To find a group/club

Be safe, Be seen your region: Work on your bike skills - in practice the 5 L’s Be predictable

www.cyclingnewzealand.nz

predictable Be Be seen ~ wear bright clothing, lights andstatus: reflectors.

For Hauraki Rail Trail

Be courteous Regularly check behind you www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz Be courteous Ride at least one metre out from parked cars skills WorkWork on your on bikeyour skills - bike practice the 5 -L’spractice the 5 L’s Communicate To report a State Highway prepared andBewatch for drivers opening doors.

Be prepared road hazard: Be seen ~ wear bright clothing, lights and reflectors.

Be seen ~ wear bright clothing, lights and reflectors.

0800 44 44 49 Claim the lane Communicate Claim the lane when the road width requires it, Ride at least one metre out from parked cars Communicate To report a local road hazard: and watch for drivers opening doors. or cars when you need to position yourself for Ridethe at least one metre out from parked Claim the lane Expect unexpected Thames-Coromandel District Council: 07 868 0200 or the roundabout. watch drivers Claimand the lane when for the road width opening requires it, doors. a turn Claim the lane Expect unexpected Hauraki District Council: Scan or whenfor you hazards need to position yourself for 07 862 8609 Make eye contact with drivers a turnClaim or roundabout.

Scan it, for hazards the lane when the road width requires Matamata-Piako District Council: Trip planning -less is best Expect the unexpected 07 884 0060 Makeor eyewhen contactyou with drivers for potential hazards i.e. pedestrians, need to position yourselfScan forTripahead planning Scan ahead forhead potential hazards i.e. pedestrians, Use dogs, drivers who have not seen ayour turn or roundabout. lessor is best Scan for you. hazards dogs, or drivers who have not seen you.

Know the road rules and follow them.

Use your head KnowMake the roadeye rulescontact and followwith them. drivers Trip planning Scan ahead for potential hazards i.e. pedestrians, lessRoad is best Safety IS Phone Thames-Coromandel on 07 868 you.

0200 to book your space! dogs, or driversDistrict who Council have not seen Hauraki Rail Trail l 5 EVERYONE’S Use yourResponsibility head Know the road rules and follow them.

CONTENTS

9 - Hauraki Rail Trail map 10 - Kaiaua to Thames map 11 - Kaiaua and Shorebird Coast information 14 - Thames township map 16 - Thames information 22 - Thames to Paeroa map 23 - Kopu to Paeroa information 25 - Paeroa township map 26 - Paeroa information 31 - Paeroa to Waihi map 36 – Waihi map 37 - Waihi information 44 - Waihi Beach and Athenree 45 - Orokawa Bay 46 – Katikati and Waihi to Katikati map 50 - Paeroa to Te Aroha map 52 - Te Aroha township map 53 - Te Aroha information 56 - Te Aroha to Matamata map 60 - Matamata township map 61 - Matamata township information

About the guide This is just a snapshot of what’s available in our districts and of course you should feel free to discover your own journey, or talk to the operators of the trail for other options at: www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz.

Kia Ora and haere mai Thank you for picking up this free copy of the Hauraki Rail Trail Guide – we hope you enjoy it as you explore New Zealand’s flattest and funnest trail.

This trail just keeps getting bigger and better – and our little team of locals at T&T Publishing Ltd put this guide together to help you make the most of our special place here in HaurakiCoromandel and Matamata-Piako.

Operators of the Hauraki Rail Trail are available to you, to make your journey as easy and enjoyable as possible. If you have not done so already, be sure to visit the official Hauraki Rail Trail website www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz and support the businesses including our guide, that put back into the upkeep of this incredible recreational facility.

By booking services through HaurakiRailTrail. co.nz, you are contributing to the trails’ maintenance and improvement and for all of the services, since $10.00 of each booking is paid to the Hauraki Rail Trail Charitable Trust .

There’s something for everyone on the trail, taking in Matamata, Te Aroha and Thames and options of between 21km and 33km on the Thames-Paeroa, Paeroa to Waikino return, Paeroa to Te Aroha or Paeroa to Waihi

Editorial Content: Alison Smith, Hook & Arrow www.hookandarrow.co.nz Email: alisonsmith@xtra.co.nz Ph 0226 940 449 Published by: T&T Publishing Limited 27 West Crescent, Te Puru 3575, Thames RD5 Ph 07 868 2703 Email: craig@defsec.net.nz To order more copies email: diane@haurakirailtrail.co.nz 6

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Hauraki Rail Trail

Wairere Falls

sections. Once here you might opt for the short 4km Waihi gold pit rim trail.

The use of the railway corridor for this cycle way creates a flat, wide and smooth trail that makes the Hauraki Rail Trail the easiest riding trail in New Zealand.

Each town on the rail trail has a proud identity and warm close-knit relationship between residents, the land and the sea – and they want to welcome cyclists and visitors. Our advertisers have adapted, like all of us, after the 2020 year. Us kiwis are getting out and about in our own backyard. We’re proud to showcase some of the businesses that operate along the Hauraki Rail Trail and beyond, and hope you’ll fall for the amazing area that we call home.

Tune into local radio information by downloading the Rova app to access FM stations anywhere on the trail, regardless of coverage.

Covid Alert Levels and the Hauraki Rail Trail.

Please keep an eye on the hauraki rail trail official website and Facebook for updates.

The official website is www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz

TE AROHA

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Tikapa Moana / Firth of Thames

Kaiaua Shorebird Coast

Pῡkorokoro Miranda

Choose your ride Section A: Kaiaua to Thames - 55km Section A: Internationally renown for its 'Wetlands of International

Miranda 2

to Auckland

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Waitakaruru

Section B: Section B: Thames to Paeroa - 34 kms

Enjoy Farm to Gate at the cheese factory, while passing through tranquil farmland culminating at the Historical Maritime Park Section C: Section C: Paeroa to Waihi - 24 kms Riding through the historic and scenic Karangahake Gorge past gold mines and through the 1km long tunnel Section D: Section D: Paeroa to Te Aroha - 23 kms

A leisurely ride through lush farmland under the gaze of Mount Te Aroha (‘the Mountain of Love’)

KEY Towns

Section E: Section E: Te Aroha to Matamata - 37 kms

Information Centre

An unexpected journey past goat, dairy and thoroughbred farms, with views to the Wairere Falls and the Firth Tower to Hobbiton (Matamata)

Walkway

Multi-day Ride: 5 Days (Cruising) - 197 kms Take the time to explore all this area has to offer at your own places to dine and drink, things to see and do, hire a bike or a shuttle service.

Heritage Train Ride Boat Shuttle Heritage Site Tunnel Hot Springs Café/Restaurant Toilets Car Park

DOGS

See Section Maps for information on Dog permissions for each section of the trail.

Follow us on:

www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz 8

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See Section and Town Maps for information on accommodation, Campervan sites and camp sites.

to H

The Coromandel 25

Thames 25a

Kauaeranga River

55km

Kopu

Coromandel Forest Park

Pipiroa 26

Waihou River 2

Hikutaia 34km

26

25

2

Historical Maritime Park

Paeroa

Waikino Karangahake 2

Waihi Waihi Railway Station Ohinemuri River

24km

Tirohia 23km

2

Waihi Beach

Victoria Battery Owharoa Falls

Mangaiti Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park

26

2

Mount Te Aroha

Te Aroha

Te Aroha West

26

Manawaru

Hamilton

37km

Tauranga

27

Wardville Waharoa

Matamata

Wairere Falls

Firth Tower

Home of the Hobbiton Movie Set

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Kaiaua to Thames

Taking in the Kaiaua Shore birds, lush farm lands and Wetlands with views to the Firth of Thames and the Coromandel.

SECTION A The Coromandel

Wharekawa Marae

Whakatiwai

Kaiaua

Kaia

Tikapa Moana / Firth of Thames

25

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Bay View Hotel Kaiaua Fisheries

Thames

Rays Rest

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Kauaeranga River

Bird Hide

25a

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Piako River

Pῡkorokoro Miranda

Kopu

26

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Waitakaruru River

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Pipiroa

Rd

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55km

Section B to Paeroa

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Miranda Holiday Park Miranda Hot Pools

Hau

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Matai Whetu Marae

Bugger Cafe

Waihou River

Waitakaruru

to Auckland

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DISTANCE: 55km 2 2

Kaiaua to Bird Hide: 10 km Bird Hide to Waitakaruru: 11km Waitakaruru to Pipiroa: 15km Pipiroa to Kopu: 12km Kopu to Thames: 7km

Kaiaua

Thames

A B

Waihi

Paeroa

C D

Te Aroha

Gun dogs ARE PERMITTED on this section during the duck hunting season only Kaiaua

E

Matamata 55km

Thames

5m

5m 1

0m

0m

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Kaiaua & The Shorebird Coast Kaiaua is a renowned fishing town with a relaxed, country vibe.

journey across the East Asian Australasian Flyway to Alaska.

There’s a great deal to see and do in this area and there is excellent campervan parking at Ray’s Rest or options such as the Miranda Holiday Park with direct entrance on and off the trail.

Some 20 adults and 20 juvenile birds were fitted in 2019 with the satellite tags that are designed to last three years.

It’s a section with wide open expanses and a RAMSAR site of significance for its chenier plains and its shorebird population.

A visit to Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre is a highlight of the Kaiaua to Kopu and Thames section of the trail.

Godwits are among the regulars to the Shorebird coast and Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre manager Keith Woodley has written extensively on this incredible bird.

The centre uses an exciting promotional tool with the satellite tracking of the birds’

Technological advances on the tracking devices have provided a fuller picture of the birds’ journeys and include one bird that went back to Alaska from the Firth of Thames and after 11 days, started out again.

Recently the satellite tracked a male landing in New South Wales, Australia, having clocked 13,000km non-stop.

In 2021 the centre was given a grant from Waikato Regional Council to help fund a guide.

The best time to view the birds is within two hours either side of the high tide.

Once the tide drops, the birds will go far

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Kaiaua & The Shorebird Coast out on the mudflats to feed.

The centre’s run by an independent charitable trust and its main sources of income are membership subscriptions, donations, accommodation revenue, retail sales, grants and bequests so stopping and considering a purchase at the excellent retail store or making a donation goes a long way to helping their work.

Find out about tides, news and events held at the centre at www.miranda-shorebird. org.nz or phone 09 232 2781.

Ocean’s Divine 654 SH25 Waitakaruru

Open 7 Days Best fish n chips in town

“where the locals eat” Ocean’s Divine

0274 938 372 PH or TXT

Godwits make their long flight to Alaska to breed during our winters, but if you’re riding through outside of summer and spring, there are still many birds socialising over the winter on the wide white chenier plains. You don’t have to be a bird nut to enjoy the vast and tranquil shallows and to admire the amazing navigational and physical skills of the thousands of feathered migrants.

Kopu to Thames: 7km

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BEST REASONS to visit the SHOREBIRD COAST

Pūkorokoro Miranda Gun dogs ARE PERMITT Shorebird Centre on this section during th

duck hunting season on Kaiaua

5m 1 0m

1. Ray’s Rest. If you’re a campervan owner or renter, this spot along the shorebird coast provides front row seats to an internationally significant landform.

Over thousands of years, tides from the north have slowly deposited sand, gravel and cockle shells to form New Zealand’s only chenier plain.

2. To soothe those tired muscles after your cycle, consider a stay at the Miranda Holiday Park which has a private pool for guests. Check in advance due to Covid restrictions.

Shorebirds are here all year round, with peakFollow timesusOctober to on: March. The Shorebird Centre is open 9-5 but best bird viewing is two hours either side of high tide.

The Shorebird Centre has overnight accommodation; selfcontained units as well as bunkrooms for hire. Stay with us while you check out the spectacular birds.

At the Shorebird Centre Bookshop we’re delighted to bring you a wide selection of New Zealand natural history titles –the most comprehensive in the country.

283 East Coast Road, Miranda 09 232 2781 • shorebirds.org.nz Open 7 Days, 9am - 5pm (Except Christmas Day)

3. For the best fish n chips visit Oceans Divine it’s where the locals eat.

4. Ngatea Watergardens is a nearby destination combining picturesque gardens, water lily ponds, waterfalls, waterwheels and fountains. You may even find some friendly fauna. Hand feed the resident birds and fish, and introduce yourself to possibly the oldest turtles in New Zealand. A Can Museum displays 11,000 different beer and soft drink cans from all over the world.

5. Kaiaua’s pirate-themed playground has had the addition of a new wooden pirate treasure trunk so let your hearties find this and more fun at the seafront park.

l Motels with spa baths,

l Communal kitchens, WiFi, self-contained units, backpacker Sky TV & lounge, hot mineral units, family units and sites to pool, dump stations, large range suit most budgets of free recreational activities on site l Centrally located to Auckland, l Direct entrance onto the Coromandel and Waikato regions, a great base for day trips Hauraki Rail Trail

RESERVATIONS Ph: 07 867 3205 595 Front Miranda Rd, RD6, Thames Email: stay@mirandaholidaypark.co.nz www.mirandaholidaypark.co.nz Hauraki Rail Trail

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Rail Trail to / from Kaiaua (A) Paeroa (B)

200 Mary Street, New Zealand.

Phone: 07 868 7284 thames.info@thecoromandel.com l

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Thames Coastal Cycle / Walkway -

For information on Places to Dine, Accommodation and Things to See & Do in Thames visit...

www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz

THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL

502 Pollen St Thames 37 Orchard West Rd Ngatea 601 Port Rd Whangamata 25 Seddon St Waihi The offer below is only vaild in these four stores

When you purchase any Subway Sandwich present this add and you will receive a free cookie and a medium drink

Don’t get off track, get on the trail...

DOUBLE AGENTS

Maria Flint and Irene Duncan HARCOURTS THAMES supporting local Maria Flint Irene Duncan

Licensed Sales Consultant Licensed Sales Consultant Gold Star Real Estate Limited REAA 2008 Gold Star Real Estate Limited REAA 2008

M 0274 585 405 M 0272 809 353

Email: maria.flint@harcourts.co.nz Email: irene.duncan@harcourts.co.nz Hauraki Rail Trail

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Thames Thames is a former gold mining boom town which is now the main service hub for the Coromandel Peninsula’s many settlements.

While other towns lose their banks, you’ll still find them in Thames - along with everything else from department stores to award winning beauty therapy, niche retailers, great cafes and Jolly Bikes for hire and shuttles.

There are many historical homes, some of which including the Lady Bowen that was built in 1868, can be a feature of your Hauraki Rail Trail ride if you choose to stay and base yourself in the bushclad hills and coastal-fronted township of Thames.

The Lady Bowen is one of the original hotels of Thames and was named after Lady Diamantina Bowen who was Governor George Bowen’s wife. George Bowen was Governor of New Zealand at the time.

Owners Barbara and Stuart Caisley suspect Diamantina never even came to Thames, although at the time the hotel was built, Thames was bigger than Auckland.

The hotel had many uses since then, running as a hotel until the early 1950s when the owner took the name Lady Bowen and his liquor license to another hotel in Thames, leaving the property with a future wide open.

“In the ensuing years it was used as a family home, it’s spent some time empty, it was an electrical workshop at one stage, it was a backpackers, a guesthouse, and it’s said that it was at one stage a brothel. It’s had rather a colourful history,” says Barbara.

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The Treasury

Barbara and Stu arrived three years ago and bought it as an empty building. They decided to try it as a bed and breakfast and with eight rooms available, they are popular with cycling groups.

“Our plan is to convert kiwis so they can experience a really good bed and breakfast.

We really look after our guests and are able to lock their bikes up, give them a memorable time with a shared lounge and dining room, outside covered decks and large garden.”

Guests mingle if they want to but the place is big enough to just chill with a good book if you prefer.

Barbara’s tips for Thames: “Cycle the trail, explore the historical attractions like old gold mines on the side of the road – the stamper battery at Goldmine Experience – and a lot of famous walks such as the Pinnacles Walk to spectacular scenery.”

Thames has great shopping, regular Saturday morning market in Pollen St, Grahamstown and a crafter’s market every second monthly Saturday from 8am-2pm at St James Hall.

Lady Bowen Bed and Breakfast

Built in 1868 The Lady Bowen has the historical charm of days gone by.

We offer eight comfortable guest rooms.

This heritage style accommodation offers single, twin, queen and family rooms and groups are welcomed. A substantial breakfast in the morning for all guests. Bike security available by prior arrangement.

506 Brown St, Thames 3500 Ph: 07 868 8878 • Mob: 021 125 6868 W: www.ladybowen.co.nz E: ladybowenbedandbreakfast@gmail.com

Come and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and fantastic water views

Café Hours: Monday - Tues 8:30 - 3pm Wednesday - Sunday 8:30 - Late...ish Shortland Wharf, Thames • Ph: 07 868 6828

Wet fish • Takeaways • Bait Monday - Tues 6am - 3pm Wed/Thurs/Sat/Sun 6am - 7...ish Friday 6am - 8pm

Ph/Fax: 07 868 6528

E: thamesfish@xtra.co.nz • W: www.thamesfisheries.co.nz

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Thames Re-Store in Pollen St is perfect for stocking up on ecofriendly essentials and healthy snacks for the trail, like Scroggins, delicious Meusli’s, honey and goods like locally made beeswax wraps, sandwich bags and coffee keep cups.

The business was a finalist in the Hauraki Coromandel Business Awards this year and is on Pollen St near the corner of Mary St. New local items are always coming in, such as the delicious sourdough loaves with daily deliveries, or decadent gluten free cake treats.

Pamper Me Medi Spa is in Thames, and booking up fast for summer 2022 so make sure you get online, call them or contact

them via social media channels to secure your treatment as a reward for the cycling.

Over the last 12 years, owner Pauline De Thierry has expanded this longstanding beauty business into an award winning full spa with a comprehensive treatment menu for both men and women. Clients drove the direction of the business, she says, and what was initially a “hidden secret” is now on the main retail centre street of Pollen St, all the way through to its former entrance in the service lane at the back.

The professionalism is second to none, from response time to queries to their protocol for keeping you safe during a pandemic, and Pauline’s team help you leave your stresses behind as soon as you walk through the door.

“When you come to the business, stresses are left at the door and it’s ‘you’ time. A lot of our therapists are the personality type of doves, very caring, sympathetic and we keep our environment very positive.

People know when they walk in to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.”

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McDonald’s® Paeroa

A Hootenanny is an old country word for a “party” and is actually pronounced “Hoot-nanny”, so that’s why Noddy Watts of Beach hop fame named this new country rock festival.

It will be a 3-day celebration at the Thames Racecourse, cowboys, pick up trucks, cowgirls, boots, haybales, tight jeans, beer & open spaces.

And music, yes, legends from around New Zealand.

• Only 10m from the trail • Free water bottle refills • Bike stand available

McDonald’s Thames

• Located in Goldfields Shopping Centre 2 minutes from the trail • Free water bottle refills • Bike stand available

SHOP online for click

& collect or delivery

a locally owned & operated bulk foods and household refill store with a focus on sustainability and reducing unnecessary packaging

StockingNow a huge of&products including: onlinerange for click collect or delivery North Islandwithout wide All your pantry essentials the plastic www.re-store.co.nz Refill cleaning products & personal washes Sustainable personal hygiene options Custom made gift boxes for all occasions Collection of locally made goods from around the Coromandel Bring in your own containers to re-fill or use our brown paper bags. @restorewholefoods 580 Pollen Street, Thames

www.re-store.co.nz Hauraki Rail Trail

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Thames Thames School of Mines At the historic Grahamstown end of the Hauraki Rail Trail is the Thames School of Mines, one of the last mining schools in New Zealand and home to a museum unlike no other.

Come and park your bike in the purpose-built bike rack and learn about New Zealand’s own gold bonanza town, with a guided tour of Thames School of Mines that will educate and entertain rockhounds, crystal fans, geologists and every day historians alike.

Their knowledgeable guides will take you back in time to the booming 1860’s as you walk through the historic buildings and learn about when gold was first found in the Coromandel and the process through which it was carefully extracted and processed before being exported overseas to be refined. Discover how, when mining stopped being profitable, the School of Mines shifted focus and browse the fascinating Mineral Museum, which is home to one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest rock and mineral collections.

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Cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm, with Guided Tours at 10.30, 11.30, 1.30 and 2.30, it’s an ideal stop to include in your Trail itinerary. Don’t miss the opportunity to pick up a saddlebag sized souvenir from our “World Famous in Thames…” Rock Shop, which stocks a dazzling selection of crystals and minerals.

Thames School of Mines is located on corner of Brown and Cochrane Streets Thames, Ph +64 07 868 6227. For more information visitheritage.co.nz.

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TOP REASONS TO

Thames Museum

VISIT THAMES

1. Pamper yourself with treatments at Pamper Me and spend a few hours shopping the charming and undiscovered treasures of Thames.

2. The Grahamstown markets are held every Saturday morning in Thames and are a lively place to mingle with locals while sampling fare and browsing crafts, seedlings and other goodies.

3. Thames School of Mines, one of the last mining schools in New Zealand and home to a museum unlike no other. Come and park your bike in the purpose-built bike rack and learn about New Zealand’s own gold bonanza town, with a guided tour of Thames School of Mines that will educate and entertain rockhounds, crystal fans, geologists and every day historians alike.

4. Sunsets are grand in Thames and beaches along the Thames Coast bloom in November with the New Zealand Christmas tree, the pohutukawa. There are also many parks like the William Hall Arboretum which was created by a Thames amateur naturalist in the Victorian era, and Kuranui Bay; ideal for picnics and relaxing.

5. The fish Shop located prominently on the wharf has been a Thames icon for the last 25 years, historically a fish wholesaler that offered a selection of fresh fish and related seafood products from the front of the shop still exists today. The fish n chips can be eaten in the Wharf Coffee House and Bar a quaint little coffee house that was established for exactly that purpose.

Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga is run by volunteers and displays the social history of Thames from earliest times through to James Cook’s visit in 1769 to the discovery of gold in 1867 and on into the mid-1900s.

The Ted Egan Gallery is its point of uniqueness, housing over 30 models in recycled kauri, made by Ted over the past 20+ years and showing the architectural splendour of Thames in bygone days. The iron lung in the hospital display attracts great interest as we all make our way through the pandemic.

Open Friday to Wednesday. “Normally” the museum is open 10am to 3pm, but during Level 2 we are only opening from 10am to 1pm.

Adults $5, Children $2, Family of 2 adults and 2 school-age children $10. Prearranged group visits are welcome.

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Thames to Paeroa

Cycle through lush farm land, passed small towns with a few glimpses of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers arriving at the famous giant L&P bottle.

SECTION B

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The Coromandel

Thames Kauaeranga River Tikapa Moana / Firth of Thames

Pamper Me The Junction Hotel The Wharf Coffee House McDonalds Subway Waiter and Co

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Section A - to Kaiaua

Kopu 26

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The Cheese Barn Pipiroa Bugger Cafe

Waihou River

Puriri Coach House

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DISTANCE: 34km

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Thames to Kopu: 7 km Kopu to Hikutaia: 16km Hikutaia to Paeroa: 11km

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Corbett House

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Section C - to Waihi

Thames to Paeroa Between Thames and Paeroa is the historic homestead of Corbett House.

It’s a step back in time yet with all the luxuries of modern day, and guests are welcomed by hosts David and Anja Corbett where they enjoy the full splendour of the couple’s tireless hours in the gardens and ongoing improvements.

There’s a spa pool, swimming pool, sheep in the shaded paddock behind, and recently the couple built a large and impressive barn with cedar barn doors which is being used to host wedding parties.

Corbett House is a home that’s rich with history – the personal history of David’s ancestors.

The Corbetts’ have researched the history of the home, which makes for great conversations over the dining or breakfast table.

David and Anja have worked hard to provide a personalised experience for visitors and were recently named among the top historic B&B’s in New Zealand by a NZ Herald article.

H E R I TA G E B & B | W E D D I N G V E N U E

David’s Grandfather’s auntie – Julia Corbett – built a church beside the home and then had the five bedroom house built in 1920 to keep her nine children away from the successful tavern that she ran not far from the home.

Today, guests are accommodated in rooms upstairs and share two bathrooms between them, and their Corbett House drinking experience is as refined as Julia Corbett would have thought proper.

A giant billiard table fills one of the grand rooms and guests mingle with other guests as well as the hosts who live onsite, so naturally it’s expected that all guests to this home are vaccinated.

Boutique accommodation in a breathtaking histor ic r ur al landscape Built in the 1920’s, this Heritage Arts & Crafts style home offers: Full cooked breakfasts / Three unique rooms / Outdoor pool Cedar hot tub / Extensive gardens / Free WiFi / Large living areas 12ft billiards table / Function Hire Hikutaia is located just 200m from the Hauraki rail trail Find out more at corbetthouse.co.nz 8088 SH 26, Hikutaia | Ph 07 8624 753

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Thames to Paeroa In a tough year, they also expanded their business by taking on a long term lease for the neighbouring Catholic church, and have plans to link the magnificent front gardens with the church and provide a wedding chapel (non-demoninational now that the land is deconsecrated).

The church was built just before Julia Corbett had her house built in 1920. She built both to keep her children away from her thriving Pioneer Tavern.

Hauraki District was dry with the prohibition and Thames was not, and the boundary is only a few hundred metres from Corbett House.

A source of information is the Paper’s Past archives, where they read about the train that would transport not only members of the public but many miners who were enroute to the tavern.

The train would have required fortitude among the mothers bringing their children onboard after a day at the pub, David says.

“The miner’s were so drunk and there was so much fighting going on, but as a public train still for the mums and the kids, they would put the kids in the overhead locker to keep them out of the way of all the fighting and carrying on.

“We also heard through the grapevine that a Mr Smith had a horse and cart who had a taxi service for the thirsty miners from the train to the pub, and he made so much money that he was able to buy a farm.”

The couple do everything themselves on the grounds. As a retired farmer, David is handy and hard working but has had to teach himself about how to tend to roses – and he’s doing a very good job.

With its newly established front rose garden in bloom in spring and summer and the soft light of winter through the grounds in winter, a stay in Corbett House is an authentic, hospitable country immersion and highlight of a ride in the area.

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For information on Places to Dine, Accommodation and Things to See & Do in Paeroa visit...

www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz

THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL

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Paeroa Hauraki Rail Trail brings you right into the heart of Paeroa, a town that’s reinvented itself multiple times but remains a rural New Zealand town with heart.

A visit to the Historical Maritime Park and Museum - which has campervan parking too – is right on the trail.

Paeroa is at the junction of the trail to Te Aroha and Matamata, as well as through to the popular Karangahake Gorge and Waikino to Waihi section, making it an ideal place to spend some time shopping, eating, and getting organised for the next part of your ride.

Across the road from the rail trail, you can cool off at the Paeroa pool sright beside Pedlar’s Motel. It’s a great place to take a dip after a hot day on the trail.

You’ll want to get the obligatory selfie at the giant L&P bottle at the south end of town – and don’t make the mistake of some past visitors who took their selfies at the wrong bottle (the smaller version outside L&P Café).

But there’s much more to see and do.

The Waihou River is abundant with wildlife, with fishers catching trout by licence, lots of inanga, the odd seal in the summer who gorge on this, and even a very rare dolphin in the lower reaches.

The new wharf on Wharf St is being built which will allow people to travel by boat right into the middle of town, allowing people to ride the trail, have a swim, jump on the boat to take a river cruise to the maritime park and museum.

Despite a tough 2021 and 2020, events are being organised for the town, and the site Positive Paeroa is a great option for keeping up to date with what’s on.

Among the biggest by far is the Paeroa Highland Games and Tattoo, traditionally held in February, and which brings together the clans from around the country but is also a must-do for anyone with a hankering for all things Highland.

It started out as a small Pipe Bands Competition and is now a fully-fledged Highland Games, with an evening tattoo and a day full of Scottish dancing and games.

You will find multiple choices for accommodation in around Paeroa – a good bet is to see our advertisers on these pages as they are set up for cyclists of the Hauraki Rail Trail and are used to helping riders with arranging transportation, food and giving the local knowledge that can make all the difference.

Pedlar’s Motel is right beside the trail, you

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just need to cross the road to reach it, and is a well-appointed and modern refurbished motel with plenty of parking.

The Refinery Food and Lodgings on Willoughby Street offers character-filled boutique-style accommodation and has the café right out front.

It’s part of the Paeroa Heritage Trail, since it was once a gold refinery. It operated from 1915 and was used by the Bank of New Zealand to refine bullion bought from Waihi Grand Junction and the Talisman Mine at Karangahake and other smaller mines.

THE REFINERY

CAFÉ, BAR & ACCOMMODATION GUARD’S COTTAGE & MINER’S CABIN PRIVATE, SELF-CONTAINED LODGING IN THE HEART OF PAEROA

FOOD & LODGING

5 WILLOUGHBY ST - PAEROA - NZ - 07 862 7678 - WWW.THE-REFINERY.COM Hauraki Rail Trail

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HISTORY ottle of the

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Photo / HC Post-Waihi Leader

Paeroa retiree Cliff Pett is among the town’s movers and shakers – in fact he was the man who built the world-famousin-New Zealand L&P bottle in town.

As Cliff told it to the Waihi Leader newspaper, in 1968 or early 1969 a group of Paeroa businessmen, including Colin Mudford and Trevor Watt, were holding a meeting at Colin Mudford’s house to throw around ideas of how to better promote the town.

“It was a hot day and they’d been drinking L&P. Trevor saw the bottle on the table and they decided perhaps they could build a large bottle to promote the town. Alan Bott arrived and they asked his thoughts, and he thought it was great.

The men approached the borough council and mayor Graeme Lee. All the councillors and mayor thought it was a great idea. Innes Tartan [ then the owners of the Paeroa mineral water spring] were approached and agreed to this.

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The contract was let to Lee Bros Builders and Ernie Lee was to supervise the works.

As I was a foreman at Lee Bros I was given the task to build the bottle.” It was late in 1969.

Pett says he and others who worked on the bottle thought it would probably be a temporary attraction. “We didn’t know how it was going to last - and here it is 51 years later.”

Pett grew up drinking the mineral water from the main street of town, where it was pumped from its source in a paddock on the outskirts of town by a former sewage station.

Pett thinks that access to the mineral water in town could be explored as a tourist drawcard.

“I remember the ex mayor Graeme Lee knew when they stopped making [L&P] with the mineral water, he knew the difference.”

As for the taste of the “Paeroa” in Lemon and Paeroa? “It was vile,” Pett says.

Pickers room, filled with classic American & NZ memorabilia, Laser cut designs and Flag Designs, Crown Lynn, Dureware & memories,

The Early Ford Store Since 1974

REGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLE TRADERS

Specialising in Classic Tin Always more in store!

Now at: Ajay’s FordV8 Parts 5 Fraser Street, Paeroa New Zealand

Specialists in Diecast toys, M2, Johnny Lightning, Greenlight & more

Ph 07 212 8742 info@fordv8parts.com www.fordv8parts.com

Neon Effect Clocks & Sign of all sizes Supplying Quality Parts to Early Ford & Hot Rod Enthusiasts Like our facebook page for regular specials, events and updates

Restaurant • Cafe • Bar

WELCOME TO ONE 3 ONE BAR KITCHEN CAFE In the site of the old Fathers Tavern One 3 One Bar Kitchen Cafe offers style, comfort and a classic menu and wine list with service that is second to none in Paeroa. If your looking for somewhere to go for a casual drink or meal then this is the place for you. With its amazing copper bar and stylish interior it is a great place to spend time.

We offer a great range on tap, a wine list to suit all tastes and a menu with a wide selection of amazing food.

We also have a modern stylish gaming room.

So if you are stopping in Paeroa there is no place better to go than

One 3 One Bar Kitchen Cafe.

We are open from 10am 7 days a week.

P: 07 862 7273

131 Normanby Road, Paeroa • E: reservationsone3one@gmail.com • W: www.one3one.co.nz Hauraki Rail Trail

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Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7pm and "accepts gold card"

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Take full advantage of the first class services and facilities from Pedlars Motel Paeroa. We take great pride and care in making sure every need of our guests is catered for with: Secure lock up facility for bikes • Free onsite parking • Unlimited and high speed Wifi • Breakfasts Available • Filtered cold water available • Town pool located right next door • Sky+ Guest select • Guest laundry • Walking distance of Paeroa’s Restaurants, Cafes and Bars

Reservations Freephone 0800 579 645 T: 07 862 8788 • E: stay@pedlarsmotel.nz • www.pedlarsmotel.nz • 2A Arney St, Paeroa

One 3 One One 3 One is a kitchen, bar and café on the site of the historic Father’s Tavern at 131 Normanby Rd, and is basically next door to Pedlar’s Motel in Paeroa.

distribution centre and is well worth viewing before you head off on the trail through the Karangahake Gorge if headed that way next.

Although the original Father’s Tavern is gone, the bar and doors at One 3 One feature original rimu timbers from the old pub and give the place a rustic touch.

It was renovated to create quiet dining areas by the fire in winter, a bar with sports channels at the front and events when these are possible.

A wall of historic photos show Paeroa’s early years as a thriving transport and

5VISIT PAEROA TOP REASONS TO

1. Mooch the antique and second hand shops for funky finds and one-off pieces.

2. Head to the new Twilight Markets at the Paeroa Racecourse every second Friday and support the growing local producers and crafters selling quality wares. Check Positive Paeroa website for details.

3. Visit the Paeroa Historical Maritime Park & Museum for some historical nautical know-how .

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4. A visit to AJ Ford who are stockist/ suppliers of quality new reproduction, N.O.S. & second hand US automotive parts. Memorabilia, specialising in U.S.A. Ford parts and accessories from 1932.

5. If you’re looking for somewhere to go for a casual drink visit One 3 One the old Fathers Tavern with its amazing copper bar and stylish interior.

Paeroa to Waihi

A stunning trail through the Karangahake Gorge including bridges, bush clad mountain views and an 1100 metre long train tunnel.

SECTION C Waihou River

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Waihi Gold Discovery Centre Goldmine Motel

Te Pai O Hauraki

Paeroa

Ohinemuri River

Ngahutoitoi Marae 2

24km Tirohia Marae

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The Crown Mines

Waihi

Waikino Railway Station

Karangahake Winery Estate

Karangahake Waikino

kauri Puke

Owharoa Falls

Windows Walk

Waihi Beach Top 10 Beaches Motel Waihi Beach Hotel

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Kaiaua

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Dogs on leads are permitted in the Karangahake Gorge section of the Rail Trail from Waikino Station to the old Karangahake Hall site at Crown Bridge at the northern end of Victoria Tunnel, and where the Rail Trail intersects the urban areas of Waihi, Paeroa, Te Aroha and Thames. DOGS ARE NOT PERMITTED on any other section of the Rail Trail.

Paeroa

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Waihi Railway Station

Waikino Hotel Riverside Accommodation & Ultimate 2 Victoria Battery

Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park

Section D to Te Aroha

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Victoria Battery Mine Railway and Museum

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Paeroa - Karangahake - Waikino - Waihi Karangahake-Waikino To reach Waihi from Paeroa, you’ll cycle through the spectacular Karangahake Gorge and the tiny settlement of Waikino - arguably the highlight of the Hauraki Rail Trial, and particularly if you’re interested in New Zealand’s early mining history.

This section of the journey takes in the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway and Windows Walk with its ‘windows’ out to the Ohinemuri River below. Refer to www.doc.govt.nz for more information on the sites of historical interest, and the walkway.

The trail takes you across Ohinemuri River Bridge 2, to the Karangahake Winery Estate where you can treat yourself to a range of tastings.

From here you’ll ride the 1km Karangahake tunnel through the gold-rich Coromandel range, and it does help to have a torch.

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However, emerging from the dark of the tunnel and secluded from road noise, the immensity of nature takes over the senses.

From here you will continue cycling adjacent to the river and can take short detours to view signposted waterfalls until you reach the must-do photo spot of Owharoa Falls.

These staircase waterfalls are easily accessed from the main road, a few metres up Waitawheta Road. Swim with care if you do take a plunge here and take a selfie or two with the fresh clean scent of cascading water in the air.

It’s a good picnic spot, but you may want to wheel across the road to the award winning Bistro at The Falls Retreat, which offers boutique accommodation, delectable food and a variety of experiences where you can learn about

their paddock to plate ethos. More on that later in the guide.

Union Hill can be seen on the right as travelling in to Waihi along State Highway 2 from Tauranga.

Dug into Union Hill are 10 in-ground oreroasting kilns, the historic 110-year-old remnants of 13 recorded kilns, and part of a series of similar structures found throughout the Hauraki goldfield which extends north towards the Coromandel.

Ore-roasting kilns were built in the late 1880s to heat gold-bearing ore and get the gold out.

The practice is over 2000 years old, recorded in Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. Construction and operation of the in-ground kilns has changed little in that time.

At Union Hill each batch of 50 tons of ore was roasted for about six days, and one tonne of firewood was required for every two tonnes of ore to be roasted, so the firewood requirement was obviously considerable.

Little wonder the hills were often void of trees in these early years in the Hauraki

and Coromandel districts, with extractive early method gold mining and kauri logging taking their toll.

Ore-roasting on the Hauraki goldfield lasted no more than seven years in most cases because the source of the fuel for the kilns, the forests in the vicinity, were being consumed at an unsustainable rate (coal was not available as an alternative fuel until a railway was constructed to the mines in 1905).

Today restoration of forests naturally by nature and with the assistance of landowners, Department of Conservation and community groups have changed the landscape once again.

Nature has such a heartening ability to heal, and the remnants of this period of history is found on walks and rides along and nearby the Hauraki Rail Trail.

Research with thanks to Waihi Arts Centre and Museum archives, adapted in part from: Moore, P.R., Ritchie, N.A., ‘In-Ground Ore-Roasting Kilns on the Hauraki Goldfield, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand’ in Australasian Historical Archeology, 16, 1998. McAra, J.S., Gold Mining at Waihi 1878-1952, Martha Press, Waihi, 1988.

FOR A COMPLETE EXPERIENCE BOOK A WORKSHOP TODAY

BOOKINGS 07 863 8770 info@fallsretreat.co.nz

www.fallsretreat.co.nz Hauraki Rail Trail

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Paeroa - Karangahake - Waikino - Waihi Doing things differently can make them better.

visiting the website to see what midweek are available. If you do come during the week, the restaurant isn’t open, but the couple has created a hamper where you can self-serve from their delectable garden and eat these fresh nutrient-rich greens with a beautiful smoked chicken all deliver to your room.

Continental breakfasts consist of homemade muesli and home baked bread. Book ahead!

Falls Retreat is more than just a café restaurant. It offers boutique accommodation, and is set in gardens that are edible.

Like so many of our rail trail advertisers, Falls Retreat has had to adapt due to the Covid-19 pandemic and owners Brad and Emma King have used this time to refine and align their values with their offerings to customers.

In 2022, the Falls Retreat is not going to be the ‘drop by, no need to book’ restaurant that it once was, but instead visitors will get a much more immersive experience.

The key message is – bookings are essential.

It is the same amazing hospitality, and all food is made from scratch when dining here. The a la carte menu is replaced with set menus, and dining is only available Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Join a pizza social on Fridays, or consider booking a workshop where award winning chef Brad shares his knowledge.

You need to visit the Falls Retreat website to check out the workshops, from bread making, how to give salads the wow factor and create delectable dressings, and how to make preserves.

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Waikino to Waihi Riding the Waikino to Waihi section of the trail presents you with a tough choice – whether to cycle the undulating trail from the historic rail station at Waikino or take the Goldfields Train and put your feet up.

The train line ends in the township of Waihi, as does the cycle trail.

Either way, the Victoria Battery Mine Railway and Museum is a place you’ll want to explore first.

The Waihi Goldmining Company built the battery here in Waikino – once operating 200 stampers to crush the ore – because of its proximity to river water. It employed 200 men including Joe Kelly, who writes of his arrival, in the Ohinemuri Regional History Journal.

Today a 1.2 kilometre two-foot (610 mm) gauge tramway was built by volunteers that run the railway and museum society. This snakes through the remains and relics on the six acre site, where tramway rides are available on open days.

The old processing plant can only be imagined from the relics, which include the stamper mill, extensive cyanide tank foundations, and the roasting ore kilns’ tunnel, which can be viewed from above and toured underground with a guide. This is the only such place in the country open for the public to enjoy.

The ore kilns are also put to good use by miners today – though not as you might expect.

The OceanaGold Waihi Mines Rescue Team host training exercises, using a dummy as their rescue ‘victim’ to practise rope rescue.

Victoria Battery has between 50 and 60 members and a core group that regularly work at the museum, and they’re always keen to bring onboard helpers including guides. Anyone with engineering knowledge is particularly welcomed, as they must keep their train in working order according to legislation under the NZTA.

Goldfields Railway is based in the Waihi Station, one of the few original stations on its original site.

the heritage sites or a meal and drink at Waikino Hotel. The hotel has been busy creating its own gin, started by publican Wayne Chowles who once couldn’t stand the smell of it after getting ill on the stuff as a teenager.

He’s since launched ‘Eliza’s Claim’, made with flecks of gold flakes.

If you do indulge in a tipple, the train offers a bike wagon so you can put your bike onboard if you don’t feel like cycling this section of the trail from Waikino to Waihi.

A miniature railway operates at Waihi as well as at Victoria Battery in Waikino.

But as at the time of writing the guide the Victoria Battery Museum wasn’t open. It was at a time when Auckland and Hamilton had been in lockdown, so hours of operation were reduced due to those lockdowns.

The whole Waihi station area is a heritage site, and inside and outside there’s photos and information as well as a mini museum inside with paraphernalia from the railway days.

Check websites or facebook pages for latest updates on hours of operation.

From after Boxing Day 2021, the train was expected to operate three trips a day every day, at 9.45am, 11.30am and 1.45pm from Waihi.

If you don’t have a bike, you can catch the train to Waikino for coffee, a look around

The train departs Waikino Station at 10.45am, 1pm and 2.30pm.

Make this nostalgic railway journey from Waihi to Waikino a part of your Hauraki Rail Trail experience. Pop your bike on the bike wagon, relax and enjoy the ride.

For group bookings of 20+ people, please call or email us to discuss.

Check our website for times and prices and to book online.

07 863 9020 38 Wrigley Street, Waihi 3610 goldfieldsrailway@xtra.co.nz www.waihirail.co.nz

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Waihi Beach & Athenree Beaches Motel Waihi Beach Hotel Waihi Beach Top 10 Holiday Resort Athenree Hot Pools

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Waihi Few places in New Zealand are as unique as the town of Waihi, which has the giant mining open pit a short walk from a vibrant main street with cafes and retail stores.

Gold is at the heart of any Waihi tale, and the town has adopted the title ‘heart of gold’ as its slogan.

The precious metal was first discovered in Waihi in 1878. Bronze sculptures through the town pay homage to the everyday folk who lived here.

The Waihi community makes an effort with big and small events all year round.

Your arrival via the Hauraki Rail Trail will place you at the historic train station on the south west of town, from where you’ll want to head to the buzzing Seddon St. Stop by the Waihi Arts Centre and Museum to gain insights into the history of the town and surrounds and chin wag with volunteers who can tell you more about where you’ve just cycled through in Waikino.

The Pit Rim Walkway up the hill from Seddon St takes walkers and cyclists around the perimeter of the giant Martha Mine open pit, which believe it or not, was once a hill.

We are a friendly, family-owned motel situated in a lovely quiet location in historical Waihi.

With 10 spacious, warm and comfortable units, including 2 larger units to suit families.

Our motel is a short walk to Waihi’s town centre, enjoy it’s many lovely cafés and restaurants and locally owned stores and boutiques.

The remains of a Gothic-style Cornish Pumphouse that was based on the design used in the tin mines of Cornwall, England, housed the steam engines that kept the The trail starts, or ends, a quick two minute bike ride from our door. We offer a secure bike storage shed.

Because of our location right at the base of the glorious Coromandel Peninsula, day trips from here are easily possible and Waihi Beach is only a 15 minute car ride away.

We offer free unlimited fibre WIFI, with connected Smart TVs. Pet Friendly by appointment only (conditions and fees apply).

Take a break and visit us here at the Goldmine Motel.

We would love to see you.

07 8637111

W: www.goldminemotel.co.nz E: info@goldminemotel.co.nz 6 Victoria St, Waihi Hauraki Rail Trail

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Waihi Martha mine from flooding back in the early days.

workshop in the heart of town and runs workshops for those wanting to learn.

The pumphouse has been moved and may be on the move again if OceanaGold’s plans to expand its open pit are allowed.

For kids and big kids who love lego, there’s Spike’s Bricks and Models which is a collection of lego models through the decades.

Beyond gold heritage, there’s friendly museum volunteers and retailers who’ll welcome you with things to see, do and purchase.

Books on Seddon opened up in 2021 and sells pre-loved excellent condition books upstairs on the corner of Seddon and Haszard St. If it’s a haircut you need, walk in to Maddcutzz, where teenage owners Jamie and Maddie Grey won People’s Choice for all businesses in the entire Hauraki and Coromandel in 2021 for their barber shop on Haszard St. The Laughing Potter Andrew Killick creates bespoke pottery items at his

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Gilmour Reserve is another highlight in Waihi; a serene spot with a lake and picnic areas, playground and cherry blossom trees in Spring.

Waihi Arts Centre and Museum Waihi Arts Centre and Museum is a hub for the history of Waihi and a current host to numerous wonderful exhibitions.

Last year these included Clear as Mud Pottery Show featuring pottery from the area’s many talented potters, a 50-year retrospective exhibition on kiwi singer song

writing legend and local woman Shona Laing, and a celebration of 100 years of Waihi Women’s Institute and the national federation’s encouragement and support of all women within their communities.

The museum presents the history of the gold mining era (1880s - 1950s) in Karangahake and Waihi. The gallery doubles as a theatre showing miningrelated films to visiting groups, and a meeting room for other Waihi historyorientated folk.

Among displays is a layered model of the mine shafts that make up the honeycombed underground workings of Waihi’s gold mine.

It’s incredible to think that many of the veins that are being mined today are still the old ones that were excavated by hand by the town’s early miners.

Volunteers at the Waihi Arts Centre and Museum are always willing to share anecdotes or point visitors in the direction of interesting facts and local history, or let you browse at your own pace and discover their range of models, exhibits, videos and rooms for yourself.

There’s an impressive rock and gem collection and a jail that was reassembled from the original that once housed strikers in the Waihi Mine Strike of 1912, a major action widely regarded as the most significant industrial action in the history of New Zealand’s labour movement.

The violence was as vicious as any ever seen in a civil conflict in New Zealand, and hundreds of people fled Waihi in the days after what became known as ‘Black Tuesday’ in 1912.* *Information from NZ History.

54 Kenny St, Waihi OPEN 12noon -3pm Thurs to Mon www.waihimuseum.co.nz Hauraki Rail Trail

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Waihi

5 Best Reasons To Visit Waihi 1. Ride or walk the Pit Rim Walkway and view the giant Martha Open Pit which has plans for expansion in this goldrich town. Combo it with a Waihi Gold Discovery Centre tour to get behind the fences.

2. Go deeper on Waihi and surround’s fascinating history and take in an exhibition at the Waihi Arts Centre and Museum 3. Mooch the shops and cafes on offer in this beautiful small town – from the german baker to a French patisserie and great coffee, buddha bowls, you name it, Waihi café’s are unbeatable.

4. Gilmour Reserve in Waihi is a serene spot with gliding swans, cherry blossoms in spring and events in summer, pick up a copy of the local paper, HC Post, for What’s On. 5. The Laughing Potter Andrew Killick not only sells bespoke pottery using local clay and sands but offers workshops where you can have a go at the potter’s wheel.

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Hauraki Mayor Toby Adams in Waihi. The town was founded on the shoulders of hard working miners.

Come and relax in our pool and spa, spend the evening unwinding in our garden and enjoy our comfortable rooms. We offer Sky TV, free WIFI, BBQ & lock up bike storage. Only 300m to the Hauraki Rail Trail and playground

07 863 8461

Cornish Pumphouse

123 Parry Palm Avenue, Waihi

info@palmmotelwaihi.co.nz • www.palmmotelwaihi.co.nz

WAIHI CAMP & CABINS We offer a relaxed family atmosphere, located conveniently close to town with a rural outlook and serene park like grounds.

We are in close vicinity of both Waihi Beach and the Karangahake Rail Trail We offer a selection log cabins, self-contained family units, new cabins, backpacker rooms, powered sites and tent sites.

We have a large Swimming Pool and ample parking available.

An enjoyable stay for the whole family, ...........................................................................................................

6 Waitete Road, Waihi • Ph: 07 863 7654 www.waihicampandcabins.nz • Find us on facebook!

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hether you’re cycling the Hauraki Rail Trail, exploring our gold mining past, walking in the magnificent bush-clad hills of the Karangahake Gorge, or just relaxing on the white sand of Waihi Beach, the Waihi area is a great place to experience real New Zealand.

TAKE A BREAK What better way to round off your day than to sit and relax with good coffee, good food, and good friends in Waihi’s ‘most beautiful’ town centre. Once refreshed and refuelled, wander the quiet streets to unlock windows into our pioneering past, and get a taste of our unique and intriguing stories. To discover more, you must visit the award-winning Gold Discovery Centre and our innovative i-SITE.

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GOLD FEVER It was the quest for gold that first brought Europeans to Waihi in numbers. In 1878 gold-bearing quartz was discovered on Pukewa Spur (now Martha Mine), and just a decade later Waihi boasted a population three times that of Hamilton. The mighty Martha Mine had quickly become one of the most important gold mines in the world. Today, Waihi's huge working open pit gold mine is only metres from the centre of town, and you can walk right to the edge and look hundreds of meters down, deep into the chasm.

WAIHI'S LOCAL TRAILS Extend your Hauraki Rail Trail experience by exploring Waihi’s local mountain biking and walking trails. We have something for everyone...

GOLD MINE PIT RIM WALKWAY / CYCLEWAY If you're after a spectacular, 'must see' walk or ride to compliment your Hauraki Rail Trail experience, then the Pit Rim Walkway is perfect. Join the trail opposite the i-SITE, under the shadow of the Cornish Pumphouse, where it rises gently to the edge of the gold mine for your first glimpse into the open pit.

The gravel path continues clockwise around the western end of the mine before the 4 km loop brings you back to the i-SITE via interesting heritage features, bush and scenic park-land.

Interpretative signs along the way will give you interesting insights into Waihi and the gold mine.

UNION HILL & MILL STREAM WALKWAY This peaceful walk can be accessed from the Pit Rim Walkway by crossing Kenny Street and following the signs. The 1.5 km trail leads you through the historic Waihi Gold Processing Battery site where you’ll find yourself surrounded by fascinating historic gold-mining relics.

The trail can be completed as a short loop, returning via the Mill Stream Walkway, or used as a link between the Pit Rim Walkway and Gilmour Lake or the Black Hill MTB Track and walking trails.

GILMOUR LAKE AND BLACK HILL MTB TRAILS After walking the loop track or enjoying the playground at Gilmour Lake, take a peaceful walk, or cycle, upstream along the banks of the Ohinemuri River. The 5 km riverbank loop track leads you around Motu Kehu/Black Hill through native bush, farmland and hundred year-old oaks.

If it’s a more challenging mountain bike experience that you’re looking for, then the grade three Black Hill Track will deliver. Ride to the end of Clarke Street, cross the stile to your left, and follow the yellow markers for a 10 km loop of sweet single track action through pine forest and native bush. This track guarantees to get your heart pumping.

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Waihi Beach - Athenree - Orakawa Bay

Top 4 things to do in Waihi Beach & Athenree 1. Café Culture. Enjoy the vibe of Flat White for morning coffee, brunch, lunch or dinner, open seven days on the uber sought-after location of Shaw Rd, right on the beach. FLATWHITE recently won the Westpac Business Awards’ Business Sustainability Award, so they’re kind to the planet too.

2. Enjoy Sunrise BnB hospitality while staying safe in your travel bubble. They welcome back guests in the traffic light system and are taking extra precautions to ensure your safety. Fully vaccinated guests only, proof of vaccination required.

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3 Athenree Homestead was built by Irish settler/pioneers Hugh and Adela Stewart in 1879 and was a working farmhouse for 30 years up to their departure in 1906. It played an important role in the history of Athenree and Katikati - the whole area being part of a planned Irish settlement.

4. Athenree Hot Springs & Holiday Park is your family park of choice. Our all-season Athenree accommodation has a tranquil, park setting with magnificent mature puriri trees and an abundance of native birds.

Great memories are created and a relaxing holiday for the whole family is guaranteed!

Orokawa Bay Retreat

A highlight of any trip to Waihi Beach is a walk along the coast north of the beach to isolated and coastal forest fringed Orokawa Bay. A short drive through Waihi’s countryside leads visitors to Orokawa Bay Retreat. The stunning panoramic ocean views and peaceful location offers a secluded yet contemporary experience for couples or a small group (sleeps up to 8).

Mike and Sheryl Horne own Orokawa Bay Retreat, a lodge with four bedrooms each with an ensuite and super king beds, and a beautifully appointed communal living space that can be booked out for $1000 a night which is good value for four couples or pairs, seeking luxury after a ride. It can’t be accessed from the beach but overlooks the seascape at Orokawa Bay and has sweeping views all the way down the Bay of Plenty to Tauranga in the south.

The retreat has a hot tub that fits eight, and you can expect to feel spoiled by Mike and Sheryl when you stay here.

Mike came to Waihi as a miner, and the couple bought and ran the Athenree Hot

Springs which they ran for 11 years. Last year they bought the retreat and have seen numerous cycling groups come through with great feedback.

The Retreat has been custom-designed with relaxation in mind, and whether one room or all four are booked, guests have complete privacy of the retreat to themselves. Enjoy the outdoor hot tub with mural by local artist Shane Walker, or take advantage of the galley kitchen and pantry staples, laundry facilities and indoor/ outdoor dining options. Central to the Coromandel, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, it’s the perfect place to recharge in style.

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Katikati Katikati is a small arty town with a thriving community.

Known as New Zealand’s mural town, there are many artistic nooks to be explored in Katikati, with artwork front and centre. In 2018, Katikati was named, “Avocado Capital of New Zealand.”

According to the Western Bay Museum, Katikati was settled in 1875 by George Vesey Stewart and settlers from Ulster Northern Ireland. But it has a long history of Māori occupation well before that.

Alongside the town’s weekly markets and regular events there are Twilight Concerts, an Avocado Food and Wine Festival in January each year, A&P Show and the biennial New Zealand Mural Contest and Arts Festival.

The Katikati Plant and Produce market meets every Friday night at the A&P showgrounds on Major St, Katikati. The

Meaning of place name When Tamatekapua, commander of the Arawa canoe, stopped here for a meal, his men ate their food quickly, but Tama nibbled his slowly, hence Katikati-oTamatekapua, katikati: nibbling; o: of; Tamatekapua. Reputedly the original name of Waterford was changed to Katikati because the town’s founder George Vesey Stewart did not want to pay extra on telegrams from Britain by adding the words ‘New Zealand’ (the original Waterford being in Ireland). – New Zealand History, nzhistory.govt.nz.

Lions Moggies market is held on the second Saturday of each month at the Katikati War Memorial Hall. The Katikati Artisan Craft Market is held the third Saturday of the month at Chrome Café.

To find out what’s on in the town visit the katikati.org.nz website.

Please note that the trip from Waihi to Katikati is NOT a part of the Hauraki Rail Trail and is on State Highway 2.

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Explore NZ's Mural Town

3 GREAT REASONS

TO VISIT KATIKATI

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Travel back to the 1900s @Western Bay Museum

Visit the arts hub of Katikati @The Arts Junction

VISIT WWW.KATIKATI.ORG.NZ

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The Kaimai Coast, a beautiful stretch of coastline, encompasses in just a few kilometres many of the features that make New Zealand such a special place; the rolling surf to the tranquil harbour, thermal pools, orchards and farms on the fertile fringe of land sloping up to the bush-clad hills of the Kaimai ranges. Katikati is known as New Zealand’s Mural Town and the Avocado Capital of New Zealand.

Katikati is a bustling, friendly township of around 5,000 people with a great community spirit.

There are many gems to explore in Katikati.

The Haiku Pathway is a tranquil riverside walk featuring a winding path leading past boulders engraved with Haiku, short poems written by poets from around the world. This is the largest collection of haiku ‘stones’ outside Japan and the only haiku pathway in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Western Bay Museum is a modern, boutique sized museum situated in the

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heart of town. High-quality permanent collections, interactive exhibitions and fun tour-experiences bring to life the pioneering spirit of the local Māori, Ulster Irish and other settlers who together built the area. Exhibitions are updated two to three times a year keeping the museum fresh and exciting, encouraging visitors to return regularly. Guided Tours are held regularly throughout the week.

The Arts Junction is the arts hub of Katikati and includes an art gallery, gift shop and boutique cinema/theatre. It is also home to the Visitor Information Centre and is open 7 days. Maps for the murals and sculptures located throughout the town are available online or from the Visitor Information Centre.

There are amazing bush walks in the foothills of the Kaimai Ranges, whether it’s a 40 minute walk to a giant kauri tree, a 4

hour loop walk through stunning bush and old milling relics or an overnight trek to a DOC hut, they’re all central to Katikati.

For those who like a slower pace there are walk and cycleways around the Katikati town and urban area. Just over 20km of trails and linking roads take you coastal and through lovely parks and reserves, a great way to take in all the scenery that makes Katikati so special.

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Paeroa to Te Aroha

Leaving Paeroa you cross over the Ohinemuri River, following the old train track formation through lush farmland, with views of Mt Te Aroha and the Kaimai Ranges.

SECTION D

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Paeroa to Te Aroha Paeroa to Te Aroha takes in rural landscapes, quiet settlements and the meandering Waihou River, which was an historical route for Maori and for European settlers when they later arrived.

The 23km ride takes you past Tirohia Marae and the maunga (mountain) that is sacred to Ngati Hako who are the mana whenua of this area.

Artefacts

As you ride through this area you might reflect on the history - initial European settlement was focused along navigable water sources that provided transport routes, and the surrounding swamps were sources of flax for a trade that developed in this native plant species.

On this flat land, a railway followed.

The rail trail follows the railway route that linked the two towns of Paeroa and Te Aroha. The line was built around 1895.

Tirohia Marae

A giant landfill in Tirohia has been dug into the sacred mountain known as Rae-O-TePapa and while the landfill was to have been rehabilitated by 2038, a hearing was held in 2021 to expand it. Independent Commissioners have declined the application.

If history is of interest to you, a visit to the Paeroa Museum is well-advised, where you can view artefacts from the Hauraki area and learn more from their knowledgeable volunteers. The museum also includes a substantial collection of Royal Dalton china and treasures donated over the years from finds in the region.

Lawrie from Paeroa Museum

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Te Aroha i-SITE 102 Whitaker Street, Te Aroha Phone: 07 884 8052 Email: info@tearohanz.co.nz 52

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For information on Places to Dine, Accommodation and Things to See & Do in Te Aroha visit...

www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz

THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL

TAKE TIME

OUT

tearohamineralspas.co.nz

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Te Aroha Aroha means love in Maori, and Te Aroha township has a romantic bygone era feel.

With delightful old cottages resorted lovingly, and nourishing natural mineral hot springs fed from deep under Mt Te Aroha.

Mokena, the world’s only soda water geyser, is located at Te Aroha, and this can be viewed by a short walk up the base of the mountain behind the intact Edwardian park at the Hot Springs Domain.

Day and overnight hiking trails are easily accessed in the Kaimai-Mamuku Forest Park with the more challenging tramp to the top of Mt Te Aroha affording views all the way across the central north island to Tongariro National Park on a clear day.

1. Waiorongomai Valley walks, Mt Te Aroha with spectacular 360 degree views from the top, Howarth Memorial Wetlands, Tutumangaeo Falls and more…visit www.tearoha.co.nz or the local i-site for info. Ph 07 884 8052.

Te Aroha is a place where people sought love, and sought the health-restoring properties of natural hot mineral water and exercise in the fresh air, and this is still the case with cyclists of the rail trail today.

2. Soak in Te Aroha Mineral Spas mineral waters after a ride or head to Te Aroha Swim Zone with the kids.

The hot springs are associated with the old volcanic structures and fault lines of Te Aroha mountain. Because they flow out of the heart of the mountain, they are also considered to be part of the mountain, and therefore symbolise the giving, caring nature of the mountain and the Maori ancestors of this area.

Te Aroha Motel is centrally located, extremely clean and well-maintained and great for families or couples.

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3. Te Aroha Domain for a gentile walk and picnic and visit the only hot soda water geyser in the Southern Hemisphere (Note – the hot soda mineral spas are the only ones in the world).

4. Adventure Te Aroha for a guided paddle or SUP tour of the Waihou River.

5. Call into Adrian Worsley’s gallery and workshop to marvel at sculptures made from scrap metal, or stroll around the historic town and see some of his sculptures adorning Te Aroha’s main street.

Your hosts – Robin and Glenys Contact us • www.tearohamotel.co.nz Te Aroha Motel 108 Whitaker Street, Te Aroha, New Zealand Tel:+64 7 884 9417

• e Bike and standard bike hire available • Charging station • Self-contained, Airconditioned units • Secure bike storage (locked shipping container) • People & bike shuttle available

Kahuimanu BnB For an inspiring stay in a rural setting, the Kahuimanu BnB is a one acre rural lifestyle property on the edge of a working farm.

Hosts Pauline and Steve are accommodating in many ways.

Kahuimanu loosely translates as a flock of birds, they say, and it’s their goal through planting and pest control to have many native birds as company for themselves and guests.

They invite guests to explore their orchard and vege gardens, “visit the chooks, have a game of petanque, or just soak in the spa while watching Mt Te Aroha’s everchanging vistas unfold”, or the night sky in all its glory.

Two wheelers can park a bike in the garage next to the house for added security and they have a well-stocked garage with tools, parts, lubes and cleaners if your bike is in need of some quick maintenance.

Kahuimanu BnB

Join us in our idyllic rural surroundings with vistas to Te Aroha.

Kahuimanu BnB offers clean, modern, cycle-friendly accommodation & services for up to four guests in a rural setting just 10km from Te Aroha.

Visit www.kahuimanu.nz for details.

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Te Aroha to Matamata An unexpected journey past goat, dairy and thoroughbred farms, with views to the Wairere Falls and the Firth Tower to Hobbiton (Matamata)

SECTION E

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Firth Tower Museum

Home of the Hobbiton Movie Set

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DISTANCE: 37km

Cafe 77

A CAFE IN THE HEART OF MANAWARU

Situated in the quiet village of Manawaru, which is about half way between Te Aroha and Matamata. Our vision is to create a café where everyone is welcome.

It is OUR PLACE, AND YOURS. A place where community and belonging is created and fostered.

CHECK OUT THE CAFE 77 MENU BY VISITING WWW.CAFE77.NZ Open Monday - Sunday 8am - 3pm 420B Manawaru Road, Manawaru 3391 Hauraki Rail Trail THE NORTH END OF THE OLD MANAWARU DAIRY FACTORY.

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Te Aroha to Matamata For a distance of 37km, this gentle section of trail takes in the majestic Kaimai Ranges, lush plains, eateries in former dairy factories, goat farms, the largest waterfall in the north island and gets you to the doorstep of Hobbiton.

Striking off, the newest cafe on the trail is The Old Forge Kitchen, architecturally styled to pay homage to the stage coach and tractor wheel factory that re-opened for nights again from November 2021 (Friday and Saturday nights only).

Absolutely delicious food and fun for the kids and grown-ups further along the trail, you’ll find Café 77. Their waffle with fresh cream and Nutella looks TO DIE FOR. Café 77 is another historic building, a former

Matamata i-SITE Visitor Information Centre

dairy factory, that has been transformed into an incredible community hub called Community View. The site was originally owned by the NZ Cooperative Dairy Company (now Fonterra).

In 1929 it was its largest cheese factory.

Café 77 is the central attraction alongside a heritage centre, beautifully painted and decorated rock wall that tells the story of the area, and function centre. You’ll find it at 420b Manawaru Rd. It’s a popular place for those with selfcontained campervans to park up and ride, situated 12km from Te Aroha headed towards Matamata. There’s space for 10, book online at www.communityview.co.nz or pay at the Café, which is open daily 8am-3pm but kitchen closes at 2pm.

Community View was founded by a charitable trust, and its Chair, Stuart Bay and wife Beth worked tirelessly for three years to bring it to life.

Today it hosts many local school groups as well as others from out of town, able

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to challenge themselves on the climbing wall. The wall is open for use, and is the biggest in the Waikato outside the main towns.

Stu said the little church in the village wanted to give back to the community and advance its community’s connections and since the old dairy factory was falling down, it became an opportunity to do something great.

interesting displays of Manawaru history manawaruheritage.org.

While the majority of the Te Aroha to Matamata track is compacted gravel, a 1.4km stretch of the trail along Te ArohaGordon Road to Mace Road is concrete.

Dogs are not permitted on this section of the Rail Trail except where the trail intersects the urban areas of Te Aroha and Matamata.

They didn’t know the cycleway was going to come right past the gates.

Luckily for cyclists, the trust is on the doorstep of the trail. They have put in a charging station for e-bikes and compressor for tyres.

See communityview. nz and cafe77.nz or on Facebook. The site is also the home of Manawaru Heritage Centre with Hauraki Rail Trail

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Home of the Hobbiton Movie Set

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For information on Places to Dine, Accommodation and Things to See & Do in Te Aroha visit...

www.haurakirailtrail.co.nz

THE NEW ZEALAND CYCLE TRAIL

Matamata If you’re off to Middle Earth by bike, it’s a 37km rural ride linking Te Aroha with the town of Matamata.

To the stream of visitors who frequent the movie set where The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit Trilogies were filmed, Matamata is much better known as Middle Earth. In fact, Matamata means ‘headland’.

This was the name of a new pa established in 1830 by Te Waharoa, the Ngati Haua chief, on a ridge of high ground projecting into the swampy valley of the Waitoa River.

Rural in nature, it is a bustling township that’s been enlivened by the world’s only living movie set – Hobbiton.

Guided tours around the 39 hobbit holes and Green Dragon Inn are kept

TOWER ROAD MOTEL Matamata NZ

We are located just out of Matamata, right on the Hauraki Rail Trail. Stay with us and make the most of the 37km chip seal Grade 1 Cycle Trail which takes riders all the way to Te Aroha. Tower Road Motel is set in a quiet, garden setting.

Self-contained accommodation offering: 7 ground-floor units 5 studios, sleeps up to 3 people 2 spacious 1- bedroom units, sleeps up to 4 people

Take a breather from your bike Park up at Firth Tower, right next to the Hauraki Rail Trail.

Enjoy the spacious grounds with large established trees and a playground for children. Relax after your ride in the peaceful garden. There is ample parking for boats and large vehicles available.

07 888 6112 108 Tower Road, Matamata 3440 www.towerroadmotel.co.nz Hauraki Rail Trail

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Matamata to small groups rather than large herds and the best time according to our guide on tour, is mid-Spring.

Along the route you can now ride the former Cow Rd walkway to Firth Tower and enroute stop at Tower Rd Motel for all the comforts you might need.

The rail trail is the footpath outside the doors of the Tower Rd Motel, and your hosts are Tracy and Kevin Kidd. The couple are down to earth and will extremely helpful, willing and able to assist with transport by connecting you with other businesses that get this sorted from town to town, and provide local knowledge of things to see and do locally.

Tracy says there are several hot pools that

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are good for soaking tired muscles and will give you the insights on the best one depending on what you’re looking for.

River, the manager at Matamata i-SITE, says her top pick for the area is a walk up Wairere Falls.

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TOP THINGS TO DO

I N M ATA M ATA

With thanks to Tracy Kidd*

She says many people walk with children and although it’s not easy, it’s a beautiful respite in nature.

1. A walk amongst the cool beauty of the Wairere Falls, a spectacular water fall and native bush.

She also suggests that while in Matamata, you should consider a visit to Blue Springs on the Te Waihou River Walk. It’s a bit of a distance from Matamata, at Putaruru, so you will need a car.

2. Watch some of New Zealand’s finest race horses train in the early mornings.

Blue Spring offers snorkeling in a crystalclear spring.

At the time of writing, banquets at Hobbiton had not been happening for a while due to Covid-19 restrictions but keep an eye out on their facebook page or speak to the friendly staff at Matamata I-Site for updates.

3. Hobbiton – what trip to Matamata is complete without a visit around the movie set of Hobbiton, where you can enjoy the Green Dragon Inn and the hobbit homes and grounds of Middle Earth dwellers.

4. Firth Tower, built by Josiah Firth on this site in 1882. The tower is 16 metres high and is one of the earliest reinforced concrete buildings in New Zealand.

5. Take a spot of golf. Matamata & Walton golf courses are both attractive 18-hole courses. There are 7 golf courses within 30min drive.

Hauraki Rail Trail

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