Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
07-825 8268;
www.solscape.co.nz
;
611 Wainui Rd; campsites from $17, caboose dm/d $30/72, teepees per person
$36, cottages d $82-189; )
With a hilltop location fringed by native bush, Solscape's
ecofriendly accommodation includes teepees, rammed-earth domes, railway carriages and
stylish eco baches. There's room for tents and campervans, and simpler cottages are also
available. Environmental impact is minimised with solar energy, and organic produce
from the permaculture garden is used for guests' meals in the Conscious Kitchen cafe.
Yoga, massage and surfing lessons are all available, and Solscape is also YHA-affili-
ated.
Whale Bay
Whale Bay is a renowned
surf spot
1km west of Manu Bay. It's usually less crowded than
Manu Bay, but from the bottom of Calvert Rd you have to clamber 600m over the rocks to
get to the break.
Sleeping
Karioi Lodge
( 07-825 7873;
www.karioilodge.co.nz
;
5b Whaanga Rd; dm/d $30/75; )
Deep in native bush,
Karioi Lodge offers a sauna, a flying fox, mountain bikes, bush and beach walks, sustain-
able gardening, tree planting and the Raglan Surf School. There are no en suites but the
rooms are clean and cosy. These friendly folks also run
Sleeping Lady Lodges
( 07-825 7873;
www.sleepinglady.co.nz
;
5b Whaanga Rd; lodges $175-260)
, a collection of six luxury self-contained
houses nearby, all with ocean views.
HOSTEL
$
Mt Karioi
In legend, Mt Karioi (756m), the Sleeping Lady (check out that profile), is the sister to Mt
Pirongia. At its base (8km south of Whale Bay),
Te Toto Gorge
is a steep cleft in the moun-
tainside, with a vertigo-inducing lookout perched high over the chasm.
Starting from Te Toto Gorge car park, a strenuous but scenic track goes up the western
slope. It takes 2½ hours to reach a lookout point, followed by an easier hour up to the
summit. From the east side, the
Wairake Track
is a steeper 2½-hour climb to the summit,
where it meets the Te Toto Track.
