Waiohine Gorge

Highlights: 124m suspension bridge, native bush, swimming, rapids

Length: 2 hours (plenty of additional tracks if you'd like to go for longer)

Where: 1 1/2 hours by car from Wellington CBD

What to take: Active wear, water, camera, togs

Not one for those with a fear of heights, the Waiohine Gorge access to the Tararua Forest Park starts with a spectacular 124m long suspension bridge over a deep gorge. With an incredible range of walks within the Tararuas, the following is merely a suggestion for those after a fun 2 hour walk. We will cover more walks in future, or you can find out more here.

Getting there: The Waiohine Gorge is located at the foot of the Tararua ranges, about 1 1/2 hours drive from Wellington CBD and 20 minutes drive from Carterton. From the city, take SH2 over the Rimutakas and continue through Featherston and Greytown. Once you have departed Greytown, turn left into Matarawa Rd (the first left after the Waiohine River bridge). Take your second right into Moffats Rd and then the first left into Josephs Rd which leads you directly into the Waiohine Gorge Rd. The carpark is located at the end of the road.

The road is currently closed to cars about 15 minutes walk from the bridge due to a slip. You can still walk it, and there is a temporary carpark in place, so don't be deterred.

Having crossed the bridge, turn right and follow the path that runs roughly alongside the river. The track winds its way through the bush, with boardwalks over the initial swampy areas. Be warned that these don't continue, and the path can get a bit muddy, so the walk does also involve tackling some natural obstacle courses after a lot of rain. After an hour or so walking, the track comes to a clearing overlooking the river, with a steep path down to a small bridge. There is access down the side of the bridge to the creek below, and you can follow the creek down to the Waiohine River where there is a swimming hole (although beware of fast moving water) and some low-key rapids.

Return the way you came or, if you haven't had enough, you can continue along the track to the Totara Flats.