Kaweka

Discover a remote backcountry park, inland from Hawke’s Bay, that rewards those who penetrate its mountain fastnesses.

The Kaweka Forest Park has extensive tracts of untamed ‘tiger country’ which will test your wilderness and bush craft skills, but reward you with some of the best tramping, hunting and fishing in the country. It’s an ideal park for those who like to explore unknown 4WD tracks. Here you will find hidden valleys and clearings frequented by sika and red deer and discover brown and rainbow trout fishing pools in isolated areas.

The park is bounded by the Napier-Taupo and the Napier-Taihape roads and generally lies between the mighty Mohaka River in the north, the picturesque Ngaruroro River in the south, and the scenic Oamaru in the west. The Oamaru forms a common boundary with the adjacent Kaimanawa Forest Park. The Napier-Taihape Road is an interesting route to follow deep into the interior. This ancient Maori trail runs from Fernhill, near Hastings via Blowhard Bush and the Gentle Annie Road to Taihape. This route is well endowed with camping, picnic, swimming and fishing spots and provides access to southern areas of the park. Other access roads are off the Napier-Taupo Road in the north and the Puketitiri and Hot Springs Roads in the east. The Mangatutu Hot Springs are a popular attraction at the end of an adventurous 3 hour tramp into dense forest.

The main Kaweka Range rises to 1,724 metres and the Black Birch and Don Juan ranges in the east are around 1,000 metres. In the north there is rolling country dissected from the old flood plains of the Mohaka and Ngaruroro Rivers. Both these rivers offer excellent canoe and kayak experiences from half-day to multi-day trips. The headwaters of the Ngaruroro River and the main Kaweka Range have broad open tussock grasslands ideal as tramping viewpoints and for deer stalking.

Don’t resist the Kaweka challenge. This Remote wilderness has its own special rewards for the keen outdoors person. It’s a veritable tramping/hunting paradise.