NZ Travel – South Waikato to King Country
Travel in New Zealand – Lake Whakamaru to Piopio on SH 30
Oct 19, 2009
State Highway 30 from the Whakamaru hydroelectric station in the South Waikato district to the King Country township of Piopio, traverses the backbone of New Zealand’s North Island. The journey takes about one-and-a-quarter hours without stops.
Whakamaru Hydroelectric Power Station on the Waikato River
Having completed the first leg of the journey from Rotorua, Lake Whakamaru presents an opportune spot to halt for fuel and refreshments. A walk across the top of the dam will stretch the legs, although for those whose stomachs swoop at heights, it may be pertinent to peek cautiously over the sides!
Formed in 1956 by the construction of the Whakamaru hydroelectric power station, Lake Whakamaru is one of a series of small such lakes along the Waikato River. The station is a significant supplier of electricity to the national grid while the lake holds abundant trout and is a popular spot for water-skiing, kayaking and other water sports. It pays to refuel at Whakamaru as it is almost the last service station for the remainder of the journey.
New Zealand’s Largest Totara Tree and Pureora Forest Park
New Zealand’s largest recorded totara tree can be found via a short, sign-posted walk from SH 30 some 20kms from Whakamaru. Further on, the road winds through Pureora Forest Park, the site of one of New Zealand’s most significant conservation conflicts. In 1978 protestors erected platforms in the treetops, challenging the NZ Government to discontinue the logging and depletion of native forests. The protests led to the end of native logging in Pureora Forest, home to a family of trees dating back to the dinosaur age.
This part of the route is narrow with some steep climbs, so caution is called for, as indeed it is for much of the remainder of SH30 which continues narrow and winding with steep inclines and giddy drops. The rewards are breathtaking panoramic views over forestry and farmland, and descents into intimate valleys were streamlets race alongside the roadway.
On a rain-washed day in late spring the countryside is verdantly green and seems to throb with life like the damp skin of a young frog. Pastures are splashed with buttercups, fragments of blossom cling to the long-unpruned branches of elderly fruit trees leaning over lichen-encrusted fence posts.
The small settlement of Benneydale about three-quarters of the way along the route is a nostalgic reminder of the busy rural communities that were once sprinkled throughout the heartland of New Zealand. There is a store and small pub in Benneydale, but no fuel service.
King Country – Legacy of Warfare and Land Confiscation
The first Maori king was affirmed in 1857 as a step towards promoting Maori authority in New Zealand (Aotearoa) and combating the growing demands for land by European colonists. During the 1860s however, in the face of overwhelming numbers of European encroaching onto ancient tribal territory, the second Maori King Tawhiao and his people were forced to retreat into the hilly region that became known as the King Country. European were barred entry into the district until 1883, after which the King Country was made accessible to settlers, and roads and railways began to be established.
SH30 offers a meandering scenic drive along a route that is sparsely trafficked. Travellers will be taken from New Zealand’s gentle eastern flank to the more dramatic countryside of the west coast and the small townships of Piopio and Te Kuiti. The journey takes about two hours without stopping – but it’s worth pausing here and there to enjoy the views and listen to the whisper of old New Zealand.
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