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Pacific Coast Highway Traveller’s Guide

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2008 Traveller's guide to the

Pacific Coast Highway

Gisborne to Waikaremoana via Pacific Coast Highway

• Gisborne Clocktower
• Matawhero
• Rere Falls & Rock Slide Side Trip
• Manutuke
• Young Nicks Head
• Morere
• Nuhaka
• Mahia Peninsula Side Trip
• Whakaki Lake
• Welcome to Wairoa
• Waikaremoana & Te Urewera National Park Side Trip

Gisborne Clocktower

• Kilometres from Wairoa: 99km

Travel north from Gisborne to Makaraka where you will find Showgrounds Park Motor Camp before turning south onto SH2, and you will pass through the Poverty Bay flats. The Maori name Tairawhiti, which means "the coast where the sun shines across the water" is more appropriate for the region, but disillusioned by his violent contact with the local Maori and inability to take on board refreshments, Captain Cook called the area Poverty Bay on his discovery visit in 1769.  The opening of the Waipaoa River Flood Control Scheme in 1973 which protects 9,900 hectares, has enabled the productive plains to belie their name, and produce excellent wine and horticultural crops.

Matawhero

• Kilometres from Gisborne: 8km
• Kilometres from Wairoa: 91km

This area is rich in Early-European history. Originally a  school building, the Matawhero Historic Church was built in the 1860's and a nearby farm was started in 1839. Matawhero is also the site of an infamous incident during the Maori Wars in 1868, when the warrior Te Kooti & his followers attacked the settlement, resulting in 54 deaths.

Rere Falls & Rock Slide Side Trip

By turning right at the roundabout onto Wharekopae Road, you are heading towards the Eastwoodhill Arboretum (25kms) & the picturesque Rere Falls (40kms), picnic area & swimming hole, & a bit past the falls is the Rere Rock Slide.  This 60 metre natural waterslide is suitable for most age groups, but it is recommended you wear a wetsuit or use a boogie board or inner tube.

Manutuke

• Kilometres from Gisborne: 13.5km
• Kilometres from Wairoa: 85.5km

Soon after turning left at the roundabout you will pass a side road leading to the village of Manutuke, the site of several interesting Maori marae. Te Poho o Rukupo is one of the oldest meeting houses in Poverty Bay, while Toko Toru Tapu, an Anglican church and the house Te Mana o Turanga on the Whakato Marae both have wonderful carvings. Please remember that marae are private property, if you are lucky you may find a friendly local to show you around.

Young Nicks Head

As you travel south you will look over the Wherowhero Estuary towards this striking peninsula, named after the surgeon's boy, Nicholas Young who spotted it from the masthead of Cook's  Endeavour on 6th October 1769.  After Muriwai the road leaves the plains behind & starts climbing through rolling sheep farms, forestry plantations of Pinus Radiata, and then the Wharerata Hill Scenic Reserve. The rest area at the summit of the hill (488m) provides magnificent views of Young Nicks Head and Poverty Bay towards Gisborne.

Morere

• Kilometres from Gisborne: 58km
• Kilometres from Wairoa: 48km

Set in 364 hectares of native bush, one of the last remaining tracts of lowland rainforest on the east coast of New Zealand, the Morere Hot Springs provide modern bathing and spa facilities in a beautiful natural environment and a great wilderness experience on the walking tracks, ranging from easy 20 minute walks, to challenging 2 and 3 hour hikes. The Morere Hot Springs Scenic Reserve is best known for its stands of nikau palms, but high rainfall, a mild climate and fertile mudstone soils have created an environment for a notable area of rain forest. Undoubtedly used by local Maori for some time, the discovery of the hot springs by Europeans in 1884 saw a primitive hotel open in 1897, this was expanded in 1913 into an international spa resort with gardens, bowling greens & tennis courts. The old hotel was destroyed by fire in 1994. Today, Morere is a popular day out for local people and a good base when exploring the surrounding area.  

Just past Morere you will find Whiorau Farmstay.

Nuhaka

• Kilometres from Gisborne: 67km
• Kilometres from Wairoa: 32km

The hub of community life in the small rural village of Nuhaka are the marae, in particular the magnificent Kahungunu Marae with its elaborately carved meeting house (Ph 06 837 8539). The rich agricultural lands of the Nuhaka river flats, surrounded on three sides by a bowl of protective hills, exist in a natural microclimate, less prone to frosts than the surrounding districts, and are an ideal setting for continued and varied horticultural development.

Mahia Peninsula Side Trip

Turn left at Nuhaka and follow the coastal road to the magnificent Mahia Peninsula. With its spectacular scenery, golden beaches and great fishing, diving and surfing, Mahia is known as a coastal mecca.

• BLACKS BEACH - From Nuhaka: 7km

A famous right-hand surfing break, which is well worth a stop when the swell is up.

• OPOUTAMA LOOKOUT - From Nuhaka: 10km

Great views of the peninsula as you look over Opoutama beach towards Mahia Beach village. The peninsula was once an island but sand accumulation has formed New Zealand's largest tombolo landform. There was extensive whaling at nearby Waikokopu in the 1830's with the distinct fish-hook shape of the isthmus being a natural trap for whales, the uncontrolled plunder meant the industry was short-lived.

• MAHIA BEACH - From Nuhaka: 17km

Here you will find the main settlement on the peninsula, there is a lovely beach and general store, fishing and diving charters are available. At 7km south of the village on Kinikini Rd is the Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve, with a 3.5km loop walk through coastal forest, including a picnic area & lookout.
The unique position of the peninsula means it gathers swells from many directions and it is becoming internationally famous as a surfing location.
Travelling east from Mahia village you will come to a junction, turning left will take you to the safe sandy beach at Mahanga.

Retrace your steps back to Nuhaka to continue south to Wairoa.

Whakaki Lake

• Kilometres from Gisborne: 85km
• Kilometres from Wairoa: 14km

This 1500 acre body of water is owned and managed by the Whakaki Lake Trust, who are dedicated to the protection & enhancement of the wetland environment. It is the largest of a network of wetlands that stretch along the 35km coast from Nuhaka to Wairoa. In pre-European times there were a number of Maori villages strategically placed along this coastline to take advantage of the bounty of food from the sea and wetland sources.

Welcome to Wairoa

• Kilometres from Gisborne: 99km

A left turn at the t-junction takes you over the bridge and into town, continue straight ahead on SH38 to Lake Waikaremoana and Te Urewera National Park (see side trip below).

As you cross over the bridge you will realise that Wairoa is very much a river town, with the bridge being the lifeline between the town's two halves. Flooding can be a problem, the present day bridge was built after 1988 when cyclone Bola destroyed the existing link across Te Wairoa (The long river.) Wairoa is unusual within New Zealand as having a larger Maori population (55%) than European. As such the area has a long Maori history with Te Wairoa being a landing place of the Takitimu Waka (canoe) in the 1300's. The region marks the northernmost boundaries of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe whose areas extend south all the way to the Wairarapa. Pakeha missionaries, traders and whalers settled in the area in the 1840's and the harvesting and processing of the abundant flax plants, with blades up to 12 feet long, became one of the first industries, several flax-mills were built to turn the fibrous plant into rope. The town was established as a port and service centre for the Northern Hawkes Bay and until the 1920's was reliant on shipping. The notoriously difficult river entrance, combined with the advent of road and rail links in the 1930's, caused the decline of the port facilities, remains of which can be seen by taking the riverside walk starting at the Portland Lighthouse, in the town centre.Wairoa has an attractive shopping centre alongside the river, a museum and an excellent information centre whose staff can guide you to all local attractions including arranging visits to the ornately carved Takitimu and Taihoa Marae. The town hosts several annual events including the Christmas Parade on 1st December 2007, Wairoa Carols in the Park 11th December 2007 and Wairoa  A&P Show on 18th January 2008. For detailed information on Wairoa attractions see the Wairoa Visitor Guide or visit www.wairoanz.com

Waikaremoana & Te Urewera National Park Side Trip

As you travel north from Wairoa on SH38, the road is narrow and winding with two short unsealed sections before Waikaremoana.

• FRASERTOWN - Kilometres from Wairoa: 8km

• TUAI & LAKE WHAKAMARINO - Kilometres from Wairoa: 49km

Here you will find the Tuai Hydro-electric Power Station, opened in 1929. The attractive hydro lake, Whakamarino is renowned for its large brown and rainbow trout while the nearby Waikaretaheke river is popular with white-water kayakers. Tuai, the last settlement before entering the national park has a holiday park and café, and is the base for transport and water taxis when doing the Great Walk around the lake.

• ONEPOTO - Kilometres from Wairoa: 54km

Onepoto, at the entrance to Te Urewera National Park has a wonderful view of Lake Waikaremoana. The lake was formed 2,200 years ago when a huge landslide blocked the Waikaretaheke river, forming a lake 248metres deep. Maori legend differs, and attributes the lake's formation to the struggles of a princess, Hau-Mapuhia who had been turned into a Taniwha (water dragon). Needing the safety of the ocean before the light of day turned her into stone, she panicked and formed great gouges in the earth, the waters rushed in to fill the gaps and gave the lake the name, Waikaremoana (the sea of rippling waters).

At 225,000 hectares the national park is the third largest in New Zealand and is the largest untouched native forest reserve in the North Island.  The vegetation is like a great green cloak as 650 types of native plants cover the hills and valleys that were shaped by continuous erosion. Many birds live in the forest including the rare Kokako, Kiwi & Blue Duck, unfortunately pests are present as well and the Department of Conservation fight a continual battle to protect the native wildlife from predators such as opossums and stoats.

Onepoto is also the starting or finishing point for the 46km, 3-4 day Lake Waikeremoana walk. One of New Zealand's Great Walks it is of moderate difficulty with magnificent forested scenery as it follows the lakeshore for most of its length, providing good swimming and fishing along the way. It can be walked at any time of year and has excellent hut facilities, permits must be obtained from the Department of Conservation.

• ANIWANIWA - Kilometres from Wairoa: 63km

The Department of Conservation runs a Visitor Centre and a museum here, and it's open 7 days, (ph - 06 8373803). It's a great source of local natural info. including the Kiwi Recovery project, but also has interesting displays about the Tuhoe and Ruapani Maori tribes, and the charismatic Maori Prophet Rua Kenana who built a settlement at nearby Maungapohatu.

From here the unsealed road continues north for 66kms, before linking up with the major routes to the central North Island, the other option is to return to Wairoa and continue south on the Pacific Coast Highway.

• WAIKAREMOANA - Kilometres from Wairoa: 61km

The road is now unsealed as it winds its way around the lake. At Waikeremoana can be found a store, holiday park and boat-launching facilities.

Map of the trip from Gisborne to Waikaremoana via Pacific Coast Highway

Traveller's Guide | Whakatane to Opotiki | Opotiki to Waihau Bay | Waihau Bay to Gisborne | Opotiki to Gisborne via Waioeka Gorge | Gisborne to Waikaremoana via Pacific Coast Highway | Wairoa to Napier via Pacific Coast Highway

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