NZ Travel – Bay of Plenty to South Waikato
Travel in New Zealand – Rotorua to Whakamaru on State Highway 30
Oct 18, 2009
It’s a pleasant two-hour drive from Rotorua through the South Waikato District and into the King Country, traversing the centre of New Zealand’s North Island. The route along State Highway 30 offers both sprawling and intimate vistas.
SH 30 Leads South-West from Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty
Heading south-west just out of Rotorua, the first leg begins with several miles of rolling farmland. These gently contoured acres were once desolate pumice wastes where cattle perished through ‘bush-sickness’ – a lack of cobalt in the soil. Ancient Maori settlements and trading trails out to the coast had long been abandoned.
Around the time of the Great Depression Sir Apirana Ngata the visionary Maori leader, initiated a scheme for Maori settlement farmers. Successive generations of both European and Maori farmers transformed acres of volcanic wasteland into high-yielding pastureland. Standing guard are the 500-ft high Horohoro bluffs, bush-clad escarpments leading back into the sprawling native forests of the Mamaku ranges.
A perfect time to pause is at the Handmade New Zealand Lavender Farm. Rows of lavender and hand-crafted lavender products lend some olde world charm to the journey: 554 Apirana Road, Horohoro, Rotorua, NZ.
South Waikato District – Pine Forests and Maori Legend
Lush pastures give way to the blue-green hues of regimented pines that front vast areas of forested land planted during the earlier part of the 20th Century. Hardy pines thrived in the cobalt-deprived soil, and land could be bought cheaply for the purpose of forestation.
The Bay of Plenty is left behind as SH 30 takes a turn onto SH 1 and into the South Waikato district. A mile or two past the junction travellers might keep an eye out for a hollowed-out stone in a signposted clearing to the left-hand side of the highway.
Maori legend has it that this stone provided sanctuary for Hatupatu, a young hunter who had been captured by the bird woman, Kurangaituku. One day Hatupatu escaped his imprisonment. During the pursuit that ensued he came upon this rock and beseeched it to open for him. The rock opened, Hatupatu ducked inside the cavity and the bird woman raced past. Hatupatu then fled to his home on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua. On resuming the pursuit, the bird woman tried to wade through boiling pools near Rotorua and was burned to death. A gruesome end, but an interesting aside to the journey and a reminder that New Zealand (Aotearoa) has a rich Maori history that is not always evident to the casual observer.
Waikato River Trails and Lake Whakamaru
Turning to the right off SH 1 shortly after Hatupatu’s rock, SH 30 resumes, running alongside the Waikato River. Travellers will notice signs marking ‘Waikato River Trails’, walking and cycling trails that are being established along the length of New Zealand’s longest waterway.
The Whakamaru River Trail, a 3km walk taking approximately one-and-a-half hours (one way) can be accessed through the Whakamaru Christian Camp which is easily spotted to the left of the highway. This trail offers panoramic views of Lake Whakamaru, boardwalks over significant patches of wetlands and a multitude of birdlife. Lake Whakamaru is one of the series of lakes formed by the construction of hydroelectric power stations along the Waikato River.
This first leg from Rotorua into the King Country will take 30-40 minutes without stops. It’s an easy cruise with ample room to pull over and slow bays for heavier vehicles. It pays to refuel in Whakamaru as there is only one other service station, and this close by, before the remainder of the trip across the island into the King Country.
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