Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eleven kilometres south of Te Puia is
Tokomaru Bay
, perhaps the most interesting spot on
the entire route, with its broad beach framed by sweeping cliffs. The town has weathered
hard times since the freezing works closed in the 1950s, but it still sports several attrac-
tions including good beginner surfing, swimming and
Te Puka Tavern
( 06-864 5465;
www.tepukatavern.co.nz
;
135 Beach Rd, Tokomaru Bay; meals $10-27; 11am-late; )
. This well-run pub
with cracker ocean views is a cornerstone of the community, keeping everyone fed and
watered, and offering visitors a place to stay (units $140 to $180). You'll also find a su-
permarket, takeaway and post office here (…and a B&B in the former post office), plus
some crumbling surprises at the far end of the bay. Up on the hill, 12-bed
Stranded in
Paradise
( 06-864-5870;
www.bbh.co.nz
; 21 Potae St; campsites per person $15, dm/s/d $28/45/66; )
scores
the awards for views, eco-loos and free wi-fi. There are two tricky loft rooms for sharing,
a double downstairs and three wave-shaped cabins. Tenters have a panoramic knoll (as-
tonishing views!) on which to pitch.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
MURRAY BALL: THE BALLAD OF FOOTROT FLATS
Where the black Raukumara Ranges
Lie out east of everywhere,
The land's been stripped by sun and rain,
Until its bones are bare.
In this land of snarl-lipped razor backs
Of possums, deer and rats,
They talk a lot of working dogs
And the man from Footrot Flats.
Tokomaru Bay to Gisborne
After a bucolic 22km of highway is the turn-off to
Anaura Bay
, 6km away. It's a definite
'wow' moment when it springs into view far below. Captain Cook arrived here in 1769
and commented on the 'profound peace' in which the people were living and their 'truly
astonishing' cultivations.
Anaura Bay Walkway
is a two-hour, 3.5km ramble through steep
bush and grassland, starting at the northern end of the bay. There's a standard Department
of Conservation (DOC)
campsite
here (adult/child $6/3; fully self-contained campers only).
