Family Hauraki Rail Trail Weekend
A wee itinerary if you are keen to just get booking:
Day One:
Drive: Auckland - Paeroa (1.5 hours)
Drive: Paeroa - Te Aroha (0.5 hours)
Walk: Whakapipi Lookout, Mt Te Aroha (allow 1.5 hours)
Do: Kayak with Adventure Te Aroha (allow 2 hours)
Drive: Te Aroha - Paeroa (0.5 hours)
Stay: Miner’s Cottage, The Refinery
Eat: Kumar’s Something Special Indian Restaurant, Paeroa
Day Two:
Hire: Bikes from Adventure Bike Hire
Drive: Paeroa - Waihi (0.5 hours)
Do: Train to Waikino - Goldfields Train
Explore: Victorian Battery (& museum)
Lunch: The Falls Retreat
Cycle: Hauraki Rail Trail - Krangahake Gorge, Waikino - Paeroa (14kms allow 2 hours + Windows Walk)
Walk: Krangahake Gorge Windows Walk (allow 1.5 hours)
Drive: Paeroa - Auckland (1.5 hours)
After the roaring success that was our short break to Paeroa and the Hauraki Rail Trail (check out my blog on a grown up version here) and gorgeous surrounds by ourselves we couldn’t wait to get back with the kids. Pretty much immediately, we checked our diaries and found another weekend we could nip away. Luckily it was 3 weeks before lockdown 1.0! And the weather was still glorious. This was almost a carbon copy of our previous trip, with a few alterations to make it a little more fun for (and with) the small people.
We were quick to check out The Refinery for accommodation after spotting this when we had been down for our stay earlier. We liked the Pedlars Motel for its convenience and modern fit out (not to forget the super friendly & helpful owners) but felt it wouldn’t work with two kids that needed some outside space. So, I was on to The Refinery’s website and scouting for their offerings. They have two ‘rooms’ available, situated at the back of the cafe (away from the people) and nestled in (it turns out) a lovely back garden. We opted for the ‘Miner’s Cottage’ as it had two big beds, was slightly less expensive and as we knew we would only be there to sleep and hang out in the afternoon, there was no need for a kitchen or space. It looked very sweet and very instagram-able! We did end up booking through Airbnb for ease of booking etc.
Once I had the date booked for that we were quick to book lunch again at The Falls Retreat, after enjoying our lunch last time we knew it was a must-do when the kids were with us, and the big garden and play area just invites families.
Our first day was to be to Te Aroha and the same kayak trip, we booked this online again with Kelvin at Adventure Te Aroha.
With these ‘essential’ bookings made we were set for the trip. And we were all keen to get down there for our mini adventure break!
Day One:
Obligatory L&P bottle shot
Loaded the car and kids and on the road down to Paeroa, again. An early start on a Saturday ensured it was just as quick as the time before and we were into the fun bit! A quick stop at the L&P bottle with the kids for the obligatory photo and we hightailed it down to Te Aroha and a quick snack at Villa Nine cafe - which Kelvin had told us that it was the pick for coffee in town. A healthy cafe with smoothies and a small store and a delightful little garden in the sun surrounded with fruit trees, so no complaints.
Whakapipi Lookout, Te Aroha
We then went for a drive through the delightful Domain and had time to do the hour and a half return walk to the Whakapipi lookout over the area hubby had found (he’s good like that). We weaved our way up through the forest, on a fairly steep, switchback walk and sure enough wasn’t long before we were up above the treeline and looking across Te Aroha and across the flat plain in the distance. A great way to get a feel for the area and appreciate just how dry the pastures were at this end of a long hot summer! We turned and headed back down, we saw many a Saturday tramper heading up further, to the summit of Mt Te Aroha (another 2 hours for those wanting more adventure).
We were due on our kayak trip and the sun was shining! This time it was our family and another family group doing the ‘tour’. Loaded into the van we tootled around Te Aroha and surrounds for our little history tour. The kids loved the information as much as we had and gave us that sense of arrival again. We unloaded the kayaks into the river after a safety talk and check that we knew how to manage the kayaks. We had opted for the kids to be in doubles with us, it is a little long and they’re still a little small to manage on their own.
We started the float, me with my daughter and the other kayak with my hubby and son. Of course there was a sense of competition!! The kids wanted to ‘race’ and sure there was a little but hubby and I also wanted to enjoy the cruise and not rush this trip. Pretty quickly we discovered the ripe blackberry bushes that lined the river and that if we pulled the kayaks up the kids could stand on the end of the kayaks and pick sun ripened, still warm blackberries…. possibly there is no more a delicious treat! There was soon a competition to find the next patch and get the most delicious ones. This did often mean us parents were merely the ones to paddle to the next stops and not partake in the loot! But the kids were so entranced we didn’t mind one bit. The other family with us were watching and soon picked up on what we were doing. Joining in the fun themselves.
This was probably the best thing to help the trip along. Unlike us, the kids aren’t nearly as ready to lay back and listen to the ducks for longer than about two minutes!
Most of the float down the river was spent like this and as we headed towards the end the kids were so confident they were standing on the end of the kayaks singing their hearts out (remember they had life jackets, can swim and had both parents there to jump in if necessary). But of course, right near the end as we passed under the bridge our son was getting ahead of himself and was gazing up at the bridge and toppled out?! No worries, the flow wasn’t fast and it was shallow, hubby had swiftly hauled him back on board with a lot of laughter. One last forage of blackberries before we were pulled ashore by a smiling Kelvin and back to the small office and to change. A successful day out for sure!
We bundled in the car and headed back to Paeroa for an afternoon relax before heading to dinner. We stopped for some afternoon beers and hubby couldn’t resist picking up a couple glass ‘bottles’ of L&P for the kids. We checked into The Refinery with Niki the owner, super casual and relaxed we were told to park in the driveway and walk round the back. We grabbed our bags and walked through to the private little garden, complete with good climbing avocado tree (in fruit), a couple of chairs and what looked perfect for a beer table. We checked out our room, which was just as charming as promised. With a loft bed upstairs, and another on the ground floor and a small bathroom. The furnishings were just the right side of kitsch and rustic, reminiscent of a log cabin. There is electricity, a small fridge and kettle, but no TV. And that’s it. Niki had provided scones and butter, which we deemed breakfast as we had beer and chips in the garden planned.
We were quick to settle in the small garden (lucky the other room was free so we had the space to ourselves and the kids could climb the avocado tree to their hearts content), the kids had discovered a delightfully retro Tour New Zealand board game, slightly bowed at one corner that we thought would be fun. A fun time had, mostly, although, let’s just say we haven’t added this game to our collection, as it weaves and halts for the longest time! Chips, beer and L&P consumed, kids going slightly coo-coo with the sugar hit we headed inside for quick showers and change for an early dinner. Travelling with kids means the early dinner sitting!
Kumars Something Special made it on to our repeat hit list again, we knew the kids would find the crazy surrounds interesting, and frankly who doesn’t like Kiwi-style Butter Chicken with garlic Naan?? Sure enough us and one other family group were in the early sitting and enjoying the glow of the crazy dancing multi-coloured lights! Bellies full and slightly tired from the day we happily retired to our little room and bundled into bed. Lights low and books in hand it wasn’t long before we were all dreaming of delicious blackberries while drifting down the river.
Day 2:
Up early (again) and packing the car up, I grabbed an early coffee from The Refinery cafe (they weren’t quite open yet but had offered to make me a coffee if they were in), kids were snaffling the scones for breakfast and mandarin chasers in the car. We picked up our hire bikes from Adventure Bike Hire, we’d brought the kids bikes with us.
Realising that our wee poppets weren’t up for a 23km (plus a little) bike ride, we’d done a little research and knew of the tourist train that ran from Waihi to Waikino, taking roughly half the distance off and meaning it was only about 14km through to Paeroa from Waikino on a slightly downhill trail. The train runs once a day but more during weekends and school holidays, but best check their website for the most up to date times. We’d also done our research on a shuttle to get us the 20km up the road from Paeroa to Waihi and were frankly horrified at the cost for a family and 4 bikes would come in at $140 (one way), this combined with the ‘tourist’ prices of the train would have made a very costly little tootle down the 15km train track. So, hero Daddy to the rescue! We were ‘shuttled’ to the Waihi train station in time for the 10:30 dispatch of the Goldfields Train and hubby hightailed it back with the car to the Paeroa end of the trail, where he jumped on his bike and biked back to meet us at Waikino, what a hero! And he pedaled hard to beat our train into Waikino station!
The kids and I enjoyed the little train ride, which has an open carriage at the back for the bikes to be loaded and another for passengers. We had booked tickets online the night before, just so we wouldn’t be disappointed as it can be a busy little train. It is known as the Goldfields Railway due to the building of the rail for the gold fields in the area. It is largely run by enthusiasts now, and this just adds to the charm. Whilst waiting on the platform the train driver spotted us and invited the kids into the engine to pull the horn and our son to turn on the engine… the kids were completely chuffed and thrilled!
The ride itself isn’t the most scenic or dramatic of trips, but delightful through the countryside, and it truly tootles and definitely isn’t in a rush! The kids each got a train stamp en route, and spotting the various art installations along the track were a highlight. We were happy and delighted to see Dad (a little sweaty) on the station platform waiting for us.
Through an under road tunnel we popped out by the Victoria Battery at Waikino. It’s as close to a castle ruin you’re likely to find in New Zealand, and in saying that the strange collection of silos are the remains of the cyanide storage facility (used to disolve the sediment around the gold). Now they create an almost cathedral like environment that just encourages hide and seek. We definitely indulged for a few games. We had a little time to pass before our short cycle to The Falls Retreat for lunch and thought to check out the museum we’d spotted up the hill. It too looked to be assembled by enthusiasts, and I’m sure would have been fascinating, but with less than 20 minutes to kill we couldn’t quite chump up the $10 per adult and $5 per child. Maybe next time.
Spot me lurking in the background after a winning round of hide ‘n’ seek?
It was on our bikes and a short cycle to The Falls Retreat and our lunch booking. This time we’d left our bikes at the bottom of the hill next to the trail, rather than drag them up the hill (and the kids). Again, we were pleased we had made a booking as the restaurant was busy with family groups. We were shown our table and the kids were quick to explore the gorgeous gardens and the playground. Perfect, mum and dad could enjoy a quiet glass of rose in the sunshine. The kids had made their picks from the kids menu and we’d decided on the shared platter and pizza again. A lovely way to enjoy our day.
We got the kids back to the bikes and started our cycle for real. As mentioned from this point is about 14km through to Paeroa and the trail gently slopes downhill. Our next stop was to be the Windows Walkway. Our son, 9 years old, was off at pace and more than capable at keeping up with mum or dad. Our daughter, 7 years old, was mostly happy but a little slower. She definitely needed more stops and one of us to stay with her to jolly her along. It was a very warm day, which resulted in many water stops and stripping off of clothing! The river looked very inviting.
Frankly, convincing the kids into a walk was not the easiest but we knew they would love it, really. So, we headed off. The first section of the walk really is just a bush walk, but if you keep your eyes peeled you’ll notice that some creative sorts have carved faces into the bases of some of the punga trees. Once we reached the river we all took our shoes off for a little minute of foot soaking. Ahhhh…. nothing better on a hot day. With a little bribery, coaxing and games we made our way to the main attraction, the Victorian Gold Mines. On our travels our son had found a crusty old rubber snake, which we nicknamed ‘Stu the Stupid Sky Diving Snake’ for all his flying through the air trying to scare mummy it did! I did manage to ‘lose’ it down the bank at one stage and was promptly sent down to retrieve it.
Once up into the windows section of the trail it really does sell itself. Each of the ‘windows’ (created to allow natural light into the track) provides a vista across the gorge and river, very, very pretty (and great for silhouette photos). What hubby and I had discovered on our last trip and were keen to share with the kids is the tunnels that are open to explore, so we’d come prepared with torches. And we headed in, they go quite far in, and very quickly become quite dark. We stuck together and discovered pretty quick that if we were quiet and turned off our torches there are glow worms! Those gorgeous little green pinpricks of light that look almost like stars stuck in the darkness. Of course the kids were split between fear (of the dark) and enthralled with the discovery (or maybe that was me).
The rest of the walk weaves down and across a swing bridge and along the other side of the river. We then had to return the same bush walk back to our bikes. On our return we did see a couple trying to cycle this narrow walkway, which had resulted in the woman coming off the side of the trail and losing her bike, she looked shaken and they both looked a little sheepish. The walkway is exactly that, not really meant for bikes.
Back on our bikes, directly across a pretty bridge the trail heads into the 1km tunnel, another highlight for the kids (and us), there’s just enough light to see where you’re going (and avoid the walkers), and just enough slope to keep up the momentum without pedaling. The kids loved it! Coming straight out of the tunnel and onto another bridge is glorious. From here it is a pretty ride along the river side and through the bush. The trail is wide enough to ride alongside each other. And we definitely enjoyed many a stop. Though we could all sense we were nearly there. Hubby had parked the car not quite in Paeroa, avoiding the roadside riding with the kids. So through some farmland and our daughter was enjoying zooming up and down the little hills and we reached our parked car. Our daughter was particularly happy to get settled in the car. Hubby and son decided to keep cycling the 3km through to Paeroa, we were to meet them at the Adventure Bike Hire office.
With a quick bike drop off, and change of clothes we were ready to head back to Auckland. What a fantastic couple of days, again, in the very lovely Waikato region.
Jess x
Let me know if you have any questions on this trip.
And for context we are a family of four, kids at the time of this trip were 9 and 7 years old. Mum and dad are fairly fit, this trip requires a basic level of cycling and walking, there are no hills, and a good dose of adventure and fun!
And a list of our trip:
Whakapipi Lookout Walk, Te Aroha
Kumar's Something Special, Paeroa
Windows Walk, Krangahake Gorge