HEADER PHOTOGRAPH Shows a group of Mamaku or Black Fern. Cyathea medullaris.
OTAIKA VALLEY WALKWAY.
RAUMANGA VALLEY MAP. 17th of March, 2013. St Patrick's Day.
The Otaika Valley Walk takes you on a long varied walk through a landscape of city streets, farmland and into both dense bush and regenerating native forest. The track is located near Otaika, Whangarei, and can be accessed from the end of Raumanga Heights Drive, off Murdoch Street, or from Otaika Valley Road. Council recommends that the walk be made from the Raumanga Heights end, which is an easier approach. After entering the track, follow the orange markers or signs, if you can find them. The track traverses open countryside with views of Whangarei Harbour, and you leads through farmland along a fenceline, before coming to the Otaika Valley Scenic Reserve, rich in Native trees.
The track through the bush is good, dropping down to a couple of streams with small bridges. There is a bench seat in an open clearing which gives a nice view across the Whangarei Harbour, out to the Whangarei Heads and offshore islands.
The track then returns to the bush, over two more streams, and a stand of regenerating kauri, tanekaha and totara. When you reach the ridge there is another rest area with a rural view from 264 metres above sea level, taking in the Otaika Valley From here the walk gets steeper as the track drops down to the Otaika Valley Stream.
I only did the first part of this walk, as I had the car and to walk the full walk would have meant I would have to walk back up to Raumanga Heights to collect my car. However, it was as I drove down Raumanga Valley Road that I spied the sign board out of the corner of my eye, a signboard I recognised as similar to those at the beginning of other Whangarei District Council Reserves. I backed the car up and sure enought I had found the Raumanga Valley Reserve and earmarked it for my Easter walk. I had made friends with a very friendly white goat and said good morning to a cow, but I must confess that it was I who was feeling like a goat as the drought had chosen this Sunday, 17th March, 2013, to break, and it had turned into a cow of a morning.
The track through the bush is good, dropping down to a couple of streams with small bridges. There is a bench seat in an open clearing which gives a nice view across the Whangarei Harbour, out to the Whangarei Heads and offshore islands.
The track then returns to the bush, over two more streams, and a stand of regenerating kauri, tanekaha and totara. When you reach the ridge there is another rest area with a rural view from 264 metres above sea level, taking in the Otaika Valley From here the walk gets steeper as the track drops down to the Otaika Valley Stream.
I only did the first part of this walk, as I had the car and to walk the full walk would have meant I would have to walk back up to Raumanga Heights to collect my car. However, it was as I drove down Raumanga Valley Road that I spied the sign board out of the corner of my eye, a signboard I recognised as similar to those at the beginning of other Whangarei District Council Reserves. I backed the car up and sure enought I had found the Raumanga Valley Reserve and earmarked it for my Easter walk. I had made friends with a very friendly white goat and said good morning to a cow, but I must confess that it was I who was feeling like a goat as the drought had chosen this Sunday, 17th March, 2013, to break, and it had turned into a cow of a morning.
RAUMANGA VALLEY SCENIC RESERVE AND FALLS.
The Raumanga Valley Scenic Reserve is situated at the Raumanga Heights end of Raumanga Valley Park. The falls are a 20 minute walk from the car park at the Whangarei Visitors Centre in Tarewa Park on Otaika Road. Otaika Road is on the main highway in from Auckland, so it is easy to access and a safe place to park for a short time, while the visitors centre is open. Follow the concrete path through Tarewa Park, over a footbridge and at the far end of the park you will come to Raumanga Valley Park, which in term leads to the entrance to the Scenic Reserve on the left at the far end of Raumanga Valley Park.. The falls are another ten minutes up the track. On your way back to the car park you can get off the track at the end of Raumanga Valley Park and follow the Raumanga Stream until you join up with the pathway again.
TAREWA PARK AND THE WHANGAREI VISITOR'S CENTRE.
As mentioned above the car park at the Whangarei Visitor's Centre at Tarewa Park, is an ideal place to leave your car. The walk from the car park takes you through Tarewa Park, across a footbridge to Raumanga Valley Park and on to the Raumanga Scenic Reserve and Raumanga Falls. You can then walk back from halfway up the track, down to the upper area of the Raumanga Valley Park and follow the creek through the park back to the pathway and on to the footbridge and Tarewa Park. You can then spend some time at the visitor's centre, either at the gift shop or the coffee lounge.
As mentioned above the car park at the Whangarei Visitor's Centre at Tarewa Park, is an ideal place to leave your car. The walk from the car park takes you through Tarewa Park, across a footbridge to Raumanga Valley Park and on to the Raumanga Scenic Reserve and Raumanga Falls. You can then walk back from halfway up the track, down to the upper area of the Raumanga Valley Park and follow the creek through the park back to the pathway and on to the footbridge and Tarewa Park. You can then spend some time at the visitor's centre, either at the gift shop or the coffee lounge.