Walk Details

NZ Walking Routes > Waikato > Te Awamutu > Kakepuku Track

Kakepuku Track

Location
Drive west from Te Awamutu towards Pokuru. Drive 7 km, turn left and then right after 1 km into Mountain Road. The track entrance is signposted and 3.5km along the road.
Description

From the car park, a well-marked track crosses farmland before entering the bush. The track climbs steeply before emerging at a lower peak on the upper southern slopes of Kakepuku, and can be very slippery when wet. Continue along a ridge through a fine remnant of original forest in the ancient crater and finally onto the summit itself (449 metres, marked with a trig).

Magnificent views of the surrounding Waipa-Waikato landscape reward your efforts at the summit. Sights and sounds of tui and kereru can be found and heard in the Kakepuku Historic Reserve. Look out for North Island robins, 30 of which were released here in 1999. The plant species in the reserve are tawa, rewarewa, kohekohe, mangeao and pukatea. Two pa sites lie within the reserve, and there are two more on adjacent Waipa District Council land. A Maori relationship with the mountain is well established in legend and mythology.ยท

Distance
5.0 km
Duration
3.0 hours
Level
Hard
Amenities
  • Birds
  • Carpark
  • Historical
  • Lookouts
  • Plant Life
  • Tramping
Source
www.doc.govt.nz
Discussion
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