Want to sample the Te Araroa Trail but not the bits everyone is already heading to? Evelyne De Boeck walked the length of New Zealand and uncovered these hidden gems along the way
Everyone knows the Te Araroa Trail covers some of the most spectacular landscapes New Zealand has on offer, from the sweeping beaches of the north to the soaring peaks of the south. It includes places keen Kiwi trampers put high on their bucket lists, such as Nelson Lakes National Park. Yet for those seeking a taste of the Long Pathway, away from the crowds, it includes quiet, hidden places that are spectacular in their own right. Pureora Forest Central Plateau, 3-4 days Possibly one of the greatest treasures in the North Island, Pureora Forest is home to some of the finest lowland forest left on the island (there is an interesting exhibition on the struggle to save the forest at the park’s visitor centre). The Hauhungaroa Track leads to the Hauhungaroa Range where numerous high peaks offer truly spectacular views over the Central Plateau and Lake Taupo. This fantastic bush walk passes through a steep, but beautiful gorge and traverses several ridgelines. There are three cosy huts along the route. Omahuta and Puketi Forests Northland, 1-2 days Together with the Herekino and Raetea forests, the Omahuta and Puketi forests make up a notorious forest belt stretching from Northland’s west-to-east coast. The forests are known for their extremely rough tracks, bush bashing, slow going and ever-present and often knee-deep mud. Puketi is the least brutal and most charming of the three forests belonging to this Northland section. At the forest entrance on the Omahuta side, the beautiful Apple Dam campsite offers a chance to visit a kauri sanctuary where Hokianga, the sixth largest-known kauri tree, towers over the forest. Once in the bush, the trail guarantees a day of wet boots as it follows the stunning Mangapukahukahu Stream (a fair-weather route only, as the canyon is subject to flash floods) and later the Waipapa River, before heading up the Pukatea Ridge Track through a stand of regenerating kauri. Kauri Mountain Track Northland, 2hr [caption id="attachment_12629" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]




