Walk Details

NZ Walking Routes > Taranaki > Opunake Walkway

Opunake Walkway

Location
The Opunake walkway is the longest of the formal South Taranaki walks. It runs from Opunake Lake to Te Namu Pa. There are comprehensive maps for your information at either end of the walk.
Description

The Te Namu Pa map is by the entrance to the Opunake Cemetery Heritage wall. Along this walk, you will find many points of great historic and environmental interest. These include:

Opunake Lake
The lake is used to provide hydroelectricity. It was once a vegetable garden used to supply the Armed Constabulary and early settlers. There are public toilets at this stop for your use.

Armed Constabulary Cemetery
The cemetery is located on the headland that juts into the lake. It has four historic headstones. The perimeters of the cemetery are unknown but some cairns help estimate the cemetery boundaries.

Orimupiko Cemetery
This cemetery is adjacent to the entrance to the Armed Constabulary Cemetery. It is located on a former Pa site.

Waiaua River Mouth
This is a must-stop location – it will offer you extraordinary views of Taranaki's dynamic coastline.

The Cottage Hospital
The hospital has an amazing history for New Zealanders. It was the birthplace of Peter Snell, Don and Ian Clarke and Graham Mourie.

Opunake Beach
The Riviera of South Taranaki is an outstanding, natural surf attraction that draws visitors and surfers from all over the world. A motorcamp and playground are available. The beach was also recently upgraded to offer barbecues and picnic sites for everyone's use.

The Lion's Lookout
The lookout is located next to the ramp by the old wharf and offers clear views of the Taranaki Bight.

Middleton Bay
Middleton Bay has a boat ramp for easy launching. (This is not a safe beach for swimming, though, so please take care!)

Te Namu Pa
The Pa is an extremely important site in Taranaki. It was the location of a famous battle where Wiremu Kingi Matakatea repelled 800 Waikato Maori and successfully withstood a month-long siege armed with a single rifle. The best access to the site is via the Opunake Cemetery and then over the Otahi stream. The Te Namu Pa is on private property but visitors are welcome to pass through the site. The owners and the Historic Places Trust ask that the area be treated with care and respect. The entire walk takes a little over four hours but individual points of interest can be visited. Free brochures on the site are available from the South Taranaki i-SITE Visitor Centre or your nearest library.

Amenities
  • BBQs
  • Boat Ramp
  • Camping
  • Historical
  • Lookouts
  • Picnics
  • Playground
  • Surfing
  • Swimming
  • Toilets
Source
www.stdc.co.nz
Discussion
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