Places of Interest Near
Saltwater Lodge
1.
Paku Summit (5 minute
drive): Paku is the twin peaked mountain you can see out the front windows of
Saltwater Lodge.
How to get there:
Drive to Tairua town, turn right into Manaia Road and head for the beach. Follow the road around the base of Paku and up Paku Drive. Turn into Tirinui Crescent and park at the end of the street. The track to the summit is about a 10 minute easy walk plus five minute medium climb.
What you see:
Spectacular views of Tairua, Pauanui and
offshore islands. Take your camera!
2. Twin
Kauri Reserve (10 minute drive north)
How to get there:
Drive out of Tairua on the main road for about
3 kilometres until you see a roadside parking area on the right.
What you see:
Two large Kauri trees (visible from the road),
which are native trees of New Zealand.
You can also walk around a track in the reserve behind the twin kauris
(about 20 minutes). This contains a
number of smaller kauri trees and other native trees.
3. Pauanui/Pauanui
Waterways (15-20 minute drive south)
How to get there:
Drive out of Tairua and back along the State
Highway. Take the Pauanui turnoff by
the garage at Hikuai and drive down the road until you come to Pauanui
Waterways and then Paunaui itself.
Alternatively, take the ferry from the jetty at the end of Tui Terrace
and walk around Pauanui.
What you see:
Pauanui Waterways – A man-made development where many
of the luxury homes have their own jetties and moorings.
Pauanui –
A large well laid-out township, mostly of holiday homes, which is
populated predominantly in the summer.
Built on a sandspit, Pauanui did not exist before 1967. There are shops, a golf course and an airstrip.
Puka Park – a luxury resort at the southern
end of Pauanui, hidden from view among the trees. It is open to the public for dining and health treatments such as
massage.
4. Sailor’s
Grave Bay (10 minute drive north)
How to get there:
Drive north to The Sailor Bay Road (Te Karo)
which is a right hand turn off the main road at the summit of the hill, about
half a kilometre past the twin kauri.
Drive to the end of the road to the parking area.
What you see: Walk
down the track to the beach and to the left on a small hillock is a marked
grave of seaman, William Simpsom, who was drowned in the surf while loading
kauri logs onto the HMS Tortoise in 1842.
British naval ships used to visit the bay to collect spars for their
masts. The NZ Navy maintain the grave
site.
The Bay itself is a relatively safe surf and bathing beach with lots of shade.
5. The Lynch Stream Bush Walk (15 minute
drive north)
How to get there:
Drive out of Tairua on the
main road for about 7 kilometres. There
is a large carpark on the seaward side of the road, which you can’t miss.
What you see:
The bush walk offers 2 options a) a circular track through kauri groves
(walking time approx 1½ hours b) a more
difficult walk for the physically fit taking in part of the circular track
before heading north towards the ocean over a difficult trail which meets the
coast about 1 mile north of Sailors Grave Bay.
Option B will take about 5 – 6 hours at a leisurely pace and you will
need a vehicle to meet you, but you will be rewarded with a beautiful secret
beach close to the end of the trail.
Half Day
Trips to Places of Interest
1. Hot
Water Beach.
How to get there:
Drive approximately 20 minutes north of Tairua, following signs.
From the carpark at Hot Water Beach, walk about
400 metres along the beach to the only off-shore outcrop which has a high cliff
above the beach.
What you see:
At low tide
hot water oozes up through the sand on the beach. Take something to dig with (preferably a scoop or a spade), and
dig your own spa!! Check when low tide
is due at the Visitor’s Centre.
2. Cathedral
Cove
How to get there: a). Drive 25 minutes north to Hahei following the signs. Once in Hahei follow the signs up the hill. The road ends at a carpark which is the start of a public walkway along the coast to the Cove. (This walkway is very steep in parts and takes about 20 minutes energetic climbing and walking).
b)
by
Hahei Explorer – a charter boat service departing from Hahei beach.
During the summer this is run as a shuttle service so you can stay at the cove as long as you wish. Bookings can be made at the Tairua Visitor’s Centre.
What you see:
A beautiful secluded beach and cove with natural rock arch at one end
and a fresh-water waterfall at the other.
3. Opoutere Beach Walk Reserve and Bird Sanctuary
How to get there: Drive 20 minutes south of Tairua to the small
coastal village of Opoutere. Drive
through the beach cottages alongside the Opoutere estuary to the green council
toilet block. The path slips over the
edge behind the toilets to a carpark and footbridge. Take the track through the pines (about 15 minutes) out onto the
beautiful ocean beach. Turn to the
right (south) and follow the beach along to the harbour mouth.
What you see:
The dunes in this area are home to several species of seabirds. Avoid any area with the conservation
department has fenced off. This ocean
beach is a great place for shell collectors.
The scenery is spectacular around the estuary entrance. Allow for at least 2 hours on the beach.
4. Puketui Valley - Old Goldmining Area
How to get there: Drive south on State Highway as far as the
garage at Hikuai. Turn right onto the
Puketui Valley road (opposite the Pauanui turnoff). Follow the gravel road for about 4-5 kilometres to its end.
What you see:
An information map on the left just before a big wooden bridge crossing
the Tairua River. It is an easy walk to
the old battery and mining site.
Other Options:
Boat charters to the Alderman Islands (12 miles
out on the horizon from Tairua) or Slipper Island or the volcanic Crater Bay
for cruising, diving or fishing – contact the Dive Shop
Mini van tours with an experienced guide – book at
the Visitor’s Centre in Tairua Village
Bush walks with an experienced guide – book at
the Visitor’s Centre in Tairua Village.