Adventure Magazine Issue 220

RUN2302
HOMEGROWN
CENTRAL PLATEAU
Short Walks:
A series of short nature trails in Tongariro
National Park take in the various habitats home
to fascinating and diverse native flora and
fauna, and are a great way to get to know the
park’s places and stories.
Taranaki Falls:
2 hr
A popular short walk form Whakapapa Village, this track’s upper and lower sections
form a loop and cross a variety of landforms along the way. It also offers spectacular
long-range views, and takes in various alpine vegetation types including pretty alpine
shrublands and beech forest. On a clear day Ngauruhoe’s symmetrical cone and
the older, eroded mountains of Tongariro and Pukekaikiore can be seen. There are
plenty of lovely sights along Wairere Stream, too, including Taranaki Falls tumbling
20 metres over a 15,000-year-old lava flow.
Silica Rapids:
Plenty of beautiful scenery to be found in the Tongariro National Park - Image compliments of Visit Ruapehu
2 hr 30 min
This is a slightly longer outing, also starting near
the visitor centre in Whakapapa. It begins along
Whakapapanui Stream, meandering through beech
forest to meet the turn off to Silica Rapids. The track
soon crosses a bubbling stream with a gold coloured
bed caused by iron oxide clays from upstream swamps.
There’s some lovely alpine vegetation along this walk
and some delightful birdlife, too.
Skyline via the Sky Waka:
1.5–2 hrs
A ride on Mt Ruapehu’s new state-of-the-art Sky Waka
gondola is a must for any visitor to the national park.
It whizzes you up in six unforgettable minutes to New
Zealand’s highest café, on Knoll Ridge (2020m).
Depending on snow conditions and your level of alpine
experience, it may be possible to head further up the
mountain, but check with the Whakapapa Visitor Centre
or local guide companies first.
Whakapapanui Walking Track:
2 hr
Another good leg-stretch from Whakapapa Village, this
trail begins just beyond the visitor centre, following the
gorgeous Whakapapanui Stream through beech forest
to reach the road 3km below Whakapapa Village. Take
in the epic mountain views as you walk back up to the
village via the highway, or return back along the forest
trail keeping an eye out for the endangered whio/blue
duck.
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Waitonga Falls Track:
1.5 hrs
You can walk to the national park’s highest waterfall
on a well-formed track through mountain beech and
kaikawaka (mountain cedar) forest. The track also
passes Rotokawa, an alpine bog where the reflection
of Mt Ruapehu can be seen on still days. The Falls
themselves are 39m high and quite the sight! This track
begins high on Ohakune Mountain Road, around 11km
from town.
Timber Trail, Pureora Forest
DISCOVER MORE AT VISITRUAPEHU.COM