Adventure Magazine

We had been walking for a couple of hours before the temperature
dropped considerably so we decided to head back before the
cloud came in and obscured our views. I’m often reluctant to do
a tramp that is in and out on the same track; however, facing the
opposite direction exposed us to a completely different view so it
was just as enjoyable on the way down.
When we reached the fork for the Veronica Loop Track we left the
steps behind and followed a clearly marked trail through the bush
back to the Visitors Center. Their advice had been excellent so I
would thoroughly recommend chatting to them before setting off
on your hike for the day.
The second day of our adventure we had decided to explore the
local area by bike. Having flown down, we hired bikes from Cycle
Inn in New Plymouth and set off to explore the New Plymouth
Coastal Walkway. The walkway covers a distance of 13.2km from
Port Taranaki to the eastern side of Bell Block Beach and is paved
the whole way. We set off alongside the water at the Wind Wand
and headed out to Bell Block.
The Coastal Walkway is an excellent way to get around, great
for walking, running, skating and e-scootering. We followed the
shoreline down to Fitzroy Beach, over the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge
and past the Ngāmotu Golf Course before heading slightly inland
past the Taranaki Bike Park and finishing at Bell Block Beach.
The ride was easy, and we had plans to spend the afternoon
exploring some of the other biking areas close to town; however,
on our return trip the weather changed dramatically and we found
ourselves riding into a strong headwind against a battering of sleet
and hail. So, we ditched the bikes and went shopping instead!
There are plenty of unique shops in Taranaki so after an afternoon
exploring we all came home with a holiday keepsake. We also
found some great places to eat, our morning routine started with
breakfast and coffee at Chaos, a cool cafe with great atmosphere
and great food.
There are so many areas to explore by bike in Taranaki; Lake
Mangamahoe has an excellent mountain bike park not far from
the city, with trails for all levels and there are numerous cycleways
to explore in the region, including the Forgotten World Highway
timber trail, Kiwi Road Loop, Uruti Valley Loop Trail, Te Henui
Walkway, and the Huatoki Walkway. Next time we will drive down
and bring our bikes for sure.
The following morning we started the day with a short walk to
Pukepura Park. Situated in the heart of New Plymouth, the
52ha park is one of NZ's premier botanical gardens and is truly
beautiful. It is also host to a string of events and concerts including
the annual TSB Festival of Lights and is well worth a visit.
We then headed back to the mounga, this time to the southern
access point to explore Dawson Falls. After the weather had
turned cold the day before we had heard that there had been
snow falling in Stratford, but nothing could prepare us for the
scene that greeted us on the drive up to Dawson Falls Visitor
Centre. We felt like we had driven into a scene from Narnia, with
snow covering the ground and trees around us.
We had not anticipated snow at this time of year, and we were
poorly prepared. We had hoped to walk up to Wilkies Pools and
complete the circuit to Dawson Falls but our lack of appropriate
clothing for the conditions meant we restricted ourselves to the
shorter circuit walk to Dawson Falls just to be on the safe side.
It was a magical experience. The forest was like a fairytale and
Dawson Falls impressive with the snow covering the rocks around
us.
Top to bottom: Helen walking Holly Hut Track Walk
The bridge at Pukepura Park
Our last day at Dawson Falls in the snow (Image by random stranger)
With our trip coming to an end we felt we had hardly touched
what there was to see and do in Taranaki and so will definitely be
back… this time just a little better prepared.