Golden Bay is a particularly pretty part of New Zealand. It’s the gateway to two national parks – Kahurangi National Park and Abel Tasman National Park – and two great walks – the Heaphy Track and the Abel Tasman. Although Golden Bay is popular, it’s somewhat protected by Takaka Hill, which sits between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay. The drive over the hill is a hassle – it takes an hour, is steep and windy. However, you can also view Takaka Hill as a positive. It has some unique walks and viewpoints amongst the karst rock, including Harwoods Hole, Takaka Hill Track, Hawkes Lookout and Takaka Valley viewpoint.
Once you get to Golden Bay, Takaka is the main town in the area, and there are several fantastic short walks, including the Grove Track and Waikoropupū Springs.
Hawkes Lookout
When you drive up Takaka Hill from Tasman Bay, you’ll see a sign for Hawkes Lookout as you approach the first high point. It’s a short but interesting walk from the car park through bush-clad limestone formations. At the end of the track is a spectacular viewpoint, 620 metres up and overlooking the Riwaka River Valley, Motueka, and back towards Nelson at the far end of Golden Bay.
Harwoods Hole
The Takaka Hill road flattens out after Hawkes Lookout, and a bit beyond the Ngarua Caves entrance you’ll find Canaan Road. Follow this road into the Pikikirunga Range and the inland section of Abel Tasman National Park.
Canaan Road ends at the intersection of several hiking and biking tracks. One of these is the 45 minute walk though mature beech forest to Harwoods Hole, the deepest vertical cave shaft in New Zealand.
At a junction in the track, head right for the Gorge Creek Lookout with views of the Takaka Valley. This section traverses sharp limestone rocks, so take care. The left branch of the track takes you near Harwoods Hole, which is 176 metres deep. Be aware that you can’t actually get close enough to look into the shaft, and there are no safety rails.
The forest snail, a large carnivorous snail unique to New Zealand, was a bonus find.
Takaka Hill walkway
Shortly before you reach the main downhill section of the road towards Takaka, you’ll see the car park for the Takaka Hill walkway. The path is a combination of 4WD tracks and a walkway that takes you to the peak of Takaka Hill and a radio tower at 950 metres.
It takes about an hour to walk to the peak with a moderate uphill climb, and there’s also a longer loop track that takes up to 3 hours. The views from the top are spectacular in good weather. They look out to the surrounding peaks of Kahurangi National Park and Takaka Valley, and the karst rock landscape is just as interesting.
The Takaka Hill area was covered by beech forest that was destroyed by fire in colonial times. The only surviving remnant of the forest is in the valley to your right on the first section of the walk. Now there is a scattering of alpine shrubs, which are pretty when blooming in spring across the higher section of the hill.
Takaka Valley viewpoint
Just before the first hairpin turn to Takaka Valley is another viewpoint a short walk from the road. The path is a bit indistinct, but sits on the south side of the road just before the turn. The viewing platform is now a bit overgrown by trees, but it still provides a good view.
Takaka
Takaka is the largest town in Golden Bay. Long ago it morphed from a simple farm town to Golden Bay’s tourism centre, with a good selection of cafes and restaurants, accommodation, and attractive local galleries. If you’re in Golden Bay to explore the east side of the bay and Abel Tasman National Park, it’s the best place to stay.
Grove Track
Grove Track is an excellent 30 minute walk which can be taken at a slow meander. The entrance is near the corner of Clifton and Rocklands Roads, about 10 minutes drive from Takaka.
The track climbs about 50 metres up through a modest patch of established forest, which grows amongst a vast range of exposed karst rock. Towards the top, there is a narrow slot canyon, rich with thick vines, that leads to a high viewpoint over the Takaka River Valley and the coast.
Waikoropupū Springs
Waikoropupū Springs is one of the freshest springs in the world. A short loop track takes you around the springs and stream – it’s about an hour of walking at most. To get there from Takaka, take Pupu Valley Road, then Pupu Springs Road to the track entrance.
There’s an excellent series of panels at the start of the trail that describe the springs, their effective destruction by gold mining, and subsequent restoration. Waikoropupū Springs is a very popular walk, so try to avoid peak times.
Want more Upper South Island trip ideas?
Check out our recent posts about road tripping in Tasman Bay, travelling from Picton to Nelson, Cloudy Bay Te Kopo O Kupe and Clifford Bay.