Easy walking trails of beach and rainforest Karekare Auckland New Zealand

waterfall

A must for all those walking Karekare Beach. Year round, this fairy veil cascades over 200 feet to a tranquil pool surrounded by lush native rainforest. Only ten minutes easy hike from your accommodation. The trail goes beneath dramatic rock outcrops and alongside the Opal pools to a perfect picnic spot in front of the waterfall. This wilderness trail provided the background to many scenes from the locally filmed television series Xena Warrior Princess.

beach

The adventure trail takes you across a small clear stream to a level path alongside the lagoon flanked by sand dunes and towering volcanic cliffs. Emerge minutes later at the dramatic wilderness of Karekare Beach. Often a fine mist hangs in the air as captured during the filming of Jane Campion's Oscar-winning movie 'The Piano'.

the glade

Walk over a timber bridge crossing the clear stream which flows from waterfall to beach. Here the gnarled trunks of the ancient pohutukawa trees grow from the sand dunes to create an archway over the hiking trail. At summer holiday time this is decorated with myriad blooms of fiery red, earning the pohutukawa the title of New Zealand Christmas Tree. These beautiful trees surround a peaceful glade, ideal for quiet reflection.

Thanks to Bob Harvey for the use of photos from his private collection and from the books 'Rolling Thunder' & 'Untamed Coast'.

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