Kerikeri's secret waterfall
Photo by Bob Bingham

Kerikeri's secret waterfall

Bob Bingham sent us this great entry for our favourite tracks competition:

"In Kerikeri we have a new circular track that is 8.5km long, almost all in woodland, alongside a stream and it has three waterfalls. The whole route is never more than 2km from the town centre, so it is easy to leave the house in the early morning and go for a walk in the fresh morning air before many people are about.

"I usually start from the town centre, where I live, go down to King Street and enter the eucalyptus wood which runs down to the Fairy Pools on the Kerikeri River. The track has a unformed surface and meanders through natural woodland with great views of the river. It goes through an abandoned field, overgrown with wattle, across a pretty stream and out onto the Kerikeri Road near the Stone Store.

"From here we go 100 metres down the hill and turn right into the car park that serves the Kororipo heritage area, straight through the car park and over the meadow and down through the wood to the Wairoa stream. The track follows the stream through mature woodland, over a couple of bridges and, if you have time for it, take a short detour to the pretty little secret waterfall. Returning to the main track it passes a stone swimming hole and eventually reaches the magnificent Wairere waterfall.

"The track continues steeply up rough stone steps to pass the waterfall and continues on to Cobham road and a one kilometre walk back to the town centre.

"There are plenty of side entrances to do shorter versions of the walk."

Check our Bob's photos of Kerikeri Walkway here.