Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty - New Zealand's North Island - page 630

stretch of the Kaituna River. Also nearby is Briars Horse Trek ( 07-533 2582;
www.briarshorsetrek.co.nz ; 540 SH33, Paengaroa; 1hr/2hr/4hr treks from $65/110/195) , offering horse rides
taking in the local forests and rivers.
Homestays and farmstays dapple the Te Puke area: ask the visitor centre for a list. For
fruit-pickers and doyens of dorm-life there's basic hostel accommodation at Hairy Berry (
07-573 8015; www.hairyberrynz.com ; 2 No 1 Rd; dm/tw/d from $25/60/60; ) , a sociable, barn-like af-
fair on the Whakatane side of town with a roomy communal space and small, tidy bed-
rooms.
WORTH A TRIP
PADDLES & PIES: MAKETU
Take SH2 through Te Puke then turn left onto Maketu Rd, and you'll find yourself deposited at this seaside town
which, although historic, has seen better days.
Maketu (population 1240) played a significant role in NZ's history as the landing site of Te Arawa canoe in
1340, commemorated with a somewhat underwhelming 1940 monument on the foreshore. Arguably, though, the
town is more famous for Maketu Pies ( 07-533 2358; www.maketupies.co.nz ; 6 Little Waihi Rd;
9am-3.30pm Mon-Fri), baked fresh daily here and employing a good proportion of the population. You can buy a
pie, hot from the oven, at the factory shopfront, or from the shop next door if you're here on a weekend (go for
the legendary lamb and mint).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Whakatane
POP 18,950
A true pohutukawa paradise, Whakatane (pronounced 'fokka- tar -nay') sits on a natural
harbour at the mouth of the river of the same name. It's the hub of the Rangitaiki agricul-
tural district, but there's much more to Whakatane than farming - blissful beaches, a
sunny main-street vibe and volcanic Whakaari (White Island) for starters. And (despite
Nelson's protestations) it's officially NZ's sunniest city.