Hiking
Kiwi Dundee Adventures offer a variety of hiking. Walks design
to suit and for as many days as you like. One day hikes we pick up
from accommodations in Pauanui-Tairua-Whangamata [see recommmended
accom on One Day Tours]
For extended walks we use a variety of accommodation, depending
our guests requirements from Luxury Lodges to B & B's or Motor
Lodges.
Below are a selection of some of the hiking tours available.
Once you have made your selection please use our booking form to
reserve your place.
SOUTHERN COROMANDEL
EXPERIENCE.
Full Day Tour and Hike. Moderate challenge.
Ever changing panorama of forests, mountains, beaches and
islands. Hike along secluded sandy beaches, through high rocky
gorges, explore old gold mines set amidst spectacular scenery. Kiwi
Dundee Adventures will first take you for a relaxing walk along one
of their favourite secluded beaches with the glorious white sand
& blue Pacific Ocean rippling at your feet. The Sand Spit is
the nesting place of the rare Dotterel, & the Oyster Catches.
Opoutere is a Bird Sanctuary with an interesting history. You will
pass old Maori Middens & see the remains of the Maori Pa or
fort up on the cliffs. Captain Cook named all the offshore islands
as he sailed through this picturesque region. For those who enjoy
walking this is a special place.
We then travel south to Waihi for lunch before driving to the
spectacular Karangahake Gorge where we enter the ruins of the old
Crown Battery, historically very important as the first place in
the world where cyanide was used in the recovery of gold. President
Hoover was here in the 1890's to inspect the gold and silver
ore.
These wonderful ruins, built from gold bearing rock, stand as
'man's' determination and obsession to retrieve the gold from this
rugged and beautiful area. Following the old miners road through
regenerating forest we come to the junction of the Ohinemuri river
and the Waitawheta stream, both emerging from stunning high rocky
gorges. Crossing the river we are met with more ruins, this time
the Woodstock battery, which used the power of the Ohinemuri river
to drive their machines. Climbing the hill behind we reach the
battery level of the Talisman mine,150ft [50meters] above the
river, which we follow passing deep fenced off holes in the ground,
used to roast the hard quartz rock, until we reach the inca like
ruins of the Talisman battery. This was the third richest goldmine
in New Zealand with nearly 5million ounces of gold and silver
produced here. These ruins are so impressive, with 45ft [15mtr]
high rock walls and huge bits of steel machinery laying
around.
How did they get this all in place 100 years ago?
The walk is now through lovely forest filled with giant Mamaku
fern trees until we reach a long tunnel with glowworms. Coming out
the other side we are greeted with one of the grandest scenes you
can see anywhere in New Zealand.
Rising hundreds of feet above our heads are stark, sheer rocky
walls of the gorge and far below is the river flowing through the
narrow canyon filled with giant rocks.
Directly ahead is a goldmine that we enter and much to your
surprise we can see daylight ahead which are windows the miners
blew out to dump the unwanted rock as they blasted their way back
into the mountain chasing the elusive gold. These windows give us
amazing views into the gorge.
RIVER AND WATERFALL MAGIC.
Full Day Hike. Moderately challenging.
Beautiful forests, streams, waterfalls, swimming pools, gold
mines, crystals. This beautiful walk begins south of Whangamata
where after leaving our vehicle we make our way back into New
Zealand's past.
Walking on an old horse tramline, which serviced the goldminers
who lived in this valley in the 1890's, we follow a very scenic
bush-clad stream until we pass through old gold mining tunnels out
onto a magnificent vista of rushing rapids and waterfalls. Here we
have lunch before exploring old goldmines blasted out of
crystalline quartz rock found in this stunning gorge with deep
pools above and below waterfalls. A truly exciting day in nature
and history.
WILDERNESS ADVENTURE WALK
Full Day Hike. Moderate Challenge: uneven
surface.
The day starts with a walk through beautiful regenerating Kauri
forest full of fern trees, along the old tracks of Puketui, the
1890's gold mining town. See sparkling glowworms in old gold caves.
Enjoy a hike through remnants of the mining days now given back to
nature.
After a delicious packed lunch, wade the Tairua River, hike over
farmland and enter into remote forest with its crystal clear rock
pools surrounded by lush semi-tropical rainforest. The track leads
us into spectacular flora with giant ferns, palms, ancient Kauri,
and Rata trees. This is a step back in time with vegetation as
ancient as the Dinosaurs and where the birds show no fear as we
call them in.
Follow the creek into a hidden valley past volcanic rock walls
rising 200 metres (800ft.). At a magic pool in the creek your guide
can sometimes "introduce" you to some of the local "inhabitants",
which you will find hard to believe. Here you can enjoy a swim in
the deep crystal clear pools before heading home leaving behind a
very special part of our wonderful planet, which very few people
get the chance to experience.
COROMANDEL THREE DAY WALKING TOUR FOR SMALL GROUPS
DAY ONE: HISTORICAL GOLD MINING WALK
90 YEARS AGO
"The date is June the 9th 1909 in the Puketui Valley near Hikuai.
There is a hive of industry in the valley with the Brokenhills and
Goldenhills batteries going at full steam crushing ore to retrieve
the elusive gold and silver from the hard quartze rock. The
pounding of these batteries can be heard echoing around the
surrounding bush clad hills for miles as the rock is crushed to mud
which is then mixed with a deadly "cocktail" of first mercury and
then cyanide which collects the gold and silver for further
processing. Further up the valley a bullock team heaves forward
through the mud to the crack of the bullocky's whip, who is
shouting orders at the two leading bullocks as they strain to drag
the heavy mining machinery destined for the Brokenhills
mine."
90 YEARS ON
Enjoy a day walking through a beautiful valley steeped in
fascinating history of the famous gold mining days. We walk along
the old historical road surrounded by Coromandel Peninsulas
wondrous nature, beside the beautiful Tairua River, making our way
into the old gold town of Puketui with is gold caves now home to
thousands of shimmering glowworms. Your guide will take you back in
time with the intriguing stories of the past as you walk through
the beautiful regenerating nature of this wondrous region.
Lunch will be a delicious picnic beside the river in the shade of
theTotara trees.Your guide will delight you with the 'jewels' of
the mountains & region - rocks of gold, amethyst, obsidian
& spectacular crystals. Old photos of the valley will take you
back in time & show how it was. This memorable day will
continue walking by a dairy farm surrounded by volcanic peaks
rising out of the semi tropical rain forest, until we reach the old
bridge where your coach will be waiting to take you to your
accommodation after a very special day.
DAY TWO: SOUTHERN COROMANDEL PENINSULA COASTAL WALK
The spectacular Coromandel Peninsula is not only famous for its
mountains & semi tropical rain forest, it is home to some of
the most beautiful coastal scenery & beaches in the world.
Today you will enjoy one of Kiwi Dundee Adventures most favourite
places on the coast. We walk by the mangroves along the sandy track
and through the pine forest alive with the calls of the Tui bird
until we reach the estuary shoreline, where shell fish are in
abundance for the sea birds and sea food lovers alike.
We stop to observe the ancient Maori Middens exposed by the wind
in the white dunes along the way, and hear about the native people
who lived here. The remains of an old Maori Pa [fortification]
stands proudly on the hill.
The sand spit you walk around divides the sea from the estuary,
and is home to many seabirds during nesting time and you will see
seabirds there all year round.
As you walk along a stunning 8 kilometer long white sand beach,
with no buildings in sight and the crystal clear waters of the
mighty Pacific Ocean lapping at your feet, you will enjoy the
breathtaking scenery of many offshore islands, named by Captain
Cook in 1769 as he sailed around this magnificent scenic
peninsula.
The temptation to stop to pick up shells is hard to resist even
for the most serious walkers, or maybe to take off your boots and
wade in the sea or perhaps even have a swim on this glorious
beach!!
DAY THREE: SPECTACULAR WATERFALL & NATIVE BUSH WALK
JUNE 1897
"Far above the valley, on the tops, two men have just about cut
through a massive Kauri. They have been working on this giant Kauri
for over three days and the scarf in the side of the tree is big
enough for a man to lie in. As they put in the final cut the giant
tree, which has stood for 1800 years, gives a tremendous shudder,
it's death rattle, before lurching to one side then crashing to the
ground smashing and crushing smaller trees in it's path before
coming to rest on the ground to the accompaniment of screeching
alarm calls of the Tui, Kokako and many other birds.
A mile away near the headwaters of the rugged Third Branch of the
Tairua river, a Kauri dam lays full and menacing , ready to be
tripped to wash hundreds of Kauri logs down to the timber booms
near Tairua. The dam which is 40ft high and 100ft across the top is
about to be tripped for the first time, releasing millions of
gallons of water and thousands of tons of timber into a virgin
creek.
Dappled sunlight throws a mosaic patten on the pools which contain
many of our native trout, a Kura or crayfish scuttles across the
rocky bottom, a tiny native frog sits on a moss covered rock in the
stream and a few feet away on a fern and moss covered log there
grows a beautiful stand of our tiny Spider orchards, all blissfully
unaware of what is about to happen to their world.
With a tremendous crack and a roar the dam is tripped sending a
huge wall of water through the gate in the dam and over the
waterfall in front followed by hundreds of Kauri logs.
Down into the unsuspecting valley go the water and logs rumbling
and crashing their way through, tearing every vestige of greenery
from the canyon walls encasing the creek below the dam, then as the
valley widens out the water and the logs spread out over the banks
knocking over all trees in their way, gouging off corners in the
creek and moving huge rocks along with the giant flow, completely
altering the beds and sides of the creek forever."
100 YEARS ON The beauty of the nature in the
Coromandel is highlighted today with our walk through the semi
tropical rain forest with its huge Nikau Palms and the worlds
largest fern trees. We wind our way along an old horse-track, built
in the 1880's, beside the beautiful cool river with it's many
rapids and deep clear pools.
We will pause to learn the fascinating history of the giant Kauri
forests that once stood here and the goldmines that were worked in
this valley. Short side tracks take us to the remains of the gold
stampers and old brick chimneys from the houses of the people who
once lived and worked here. You can sample edible plants from the
forest & learn about Maori medicines.
Our magic jungle like walk eventually leads us to a spectacular
waterfall cascading over rocks and crashing down into the river
below, with a total drop of over 200ft [70meters].
We may have lunch in the forest or at a lodge set in this
delightful valley, before we continue our day through nature and
over farmland where we will conclude a day you will always
remember.
HIKE COROMANDEL - 5 DAY TOUR
Perfect for keen walkers and visitors who want a taste
of the REAL New Zealand
Day one
Your friendly Kiwi Dundee Guide will pick you up from Auckland
accommodation. Tour to Colville on western side of the Coromandel
Peninsula via the seabird coast enjoying a hike along the bird
sanctuary foreshore of the Hauraki Gulf. Visit the old historic
gold town of Thames, and a unique single gauge train ride amongst
giant ferns at Coromandel town. Weather permitting, enjoy the
afternoon exploring the coast and watching the sunset while trying
our luck at surfcasting for dinner off the rocks! Enjoy a barbecue
tea of fresh fish, typical New Zealand style if lucky on the rocks,
otherwise a steak and sausage dinner for all!!
Accommodation:Colville Bay Lodge for two nights. L,D
Day Two
Picturesque drive up to Sandy Bay over remote roads. Enjoy the day
walking the Coromandel Track on the rugged, spectacular coastline
of this unspoiled corner of New Zealand. Our transport will meet us
at Fletchers Bay at the tip of the peninsula at the end of the day.
B,L,D
Day three
Tour down the Western side of the Peninsula. Learn the fascinating
history of the region from your kiwi guides. A variety of walks
today including a hike to Cathedral cove and enjoy the delight of
the famous Hot Water beach [tide permitting.] Accommodation: Deluxe
Home stay or Lodge for two nights. B,L.D
Day four
Wilderness Hike: Cross the Tairua River into untracked semi
tropical rainforest with crystal clear rock pools and giant ferns.
View the glowworms in old gold caves. Spectacular volcanic
mountains line the valley Be prepared for fun and entertainment
today! B,L,D
Day five
[option one] Visit Kiwi Dundee Adventures
conservation block enjoying a walk through semi tropical rainforest
where native birds and the unique flora is regenerating Travel via
Waihi gold town, then hike the tramline through a rugged gorge
before returning back to the city of Auckland.
[option two] This tour can conclude in Rotorua.
B,L
Recommend to Bring: good rain gear, walking boots, sunhat, togs
[swimsuits], camera, small back pack. 'Layers' are a good idea for
clothing.
LOST VALLEY HIKE
Full Day Hike. Strenuous and challenging.
After a two-hour hike through beautiful forest we come to the
200 metre (800ft) high rock sentinels which guard the entrance to
the Lost Valley. To enter this magic place we have to climb
waterfalls, which spill out of the valley between the sentinel
rocks before climbing around cliff faces in a tangle of vines.
Entering the Lost Valley we discover we are not the first humans to
visit this remote place. Last century men came here to cut the
giant Kauri - trees which had survived untouched for thousands of
years, still lying there, like moss-covered skeletons, are the
gigantic cut heads of these trees. A steep climb brings us to the
top of the rock sentinels high above the forest giving stupendous
views of the islands and coast, mountains, cliffs and forest. Then
it's down a steep ridge until we meet a beautiful creek, rock
hopping our way home.