Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ends (or begins) here. The 32km-drive from the highway is mostly unsealed; Tuatapere--
Nov-Apr)
offers day trips with a lake cruise.
Formerly a timber-milling town, sleepy
Tuatapere
(population 555) is now largely a
farming centre. Those early woodcutters were very efficient, so only a remnant of a
once-large tract of native podocarp (conifer) forest remains.
Wilderness, however, is not far away. Tuatapere is the base for the
Hump Ridge
Track
, conceived and built by the local community, and opened in 2001. The three-day,
58km track makes relatively easy work of a tramp across craggy heights. Rich in natural
and cultural history - from spectacular coastal and alpine scenery to the intriguing relics
of a historic timber town - there's birdlife aplenty, and the chance to see Hector's dol-
phins on the lonely windswept coast on the way back to the start point. En route the path
crosses a number of towering historic wooden viaducts, including NZ's highest.
To hike the track you need to book through the
Tuatapere Humpridge Track Informa-
tion Centre
( 0800 486 774, 03-226 6739;
www.humpridgetrack.co.nz
; 31 Orawia Rd;
9.30am-5pm, limited hours in winter)
. Packages include transport to the trailhead (at
Rarakau, 19km from Tuatapere) and comfortable lodge accommodation. The tramp is
possible year-round and operates in three seasonal bands, priced accordingly (from
$175), with guided tramps also available. Advance bookings are essential.
The Humpridge information centre also houses general regionwide tourist information.
If you're interested in taking a spin on NZ's steepest river, ask about the two local jetboat
Museum
(admission by donation)
, featuring relics and photographic records of the area's
timber-milling past.
Tuatapere has a couple of excellent foody stops. Do not, we repeat,
do not
go past
Yesteryears Museum Cafe
(3a Orawia Rd; light meals $5-10; 7.30am-5.30pm)
- unless of
course it's closed, which would be dreadful because you'd miss a chance to put some
Johnny Cash on the stereogram, buy homemade jam, drink a Deep South ice-cream milk-
shake and nibble one of Aunt Daisy's sugar buns while perusing the displays of domestic
jumble from a bygone era.
Lucky old Tuatapere has another great cafe at
Last Light Lodge
( 03-226 6667;
www.lastlightlodge.com
; 2 Clifden Hwy; sites from $14, dm $30, s/d $55/70; )
, a capacious
accommodation complex offering cabins, dorms and grassy campsites. The lodge owner
is a chef of considerable skill, serving up coffee and fine cake, and sophisticiated meals
featuring lots of home-grown goodness from the on-site gardens. The new deck and
garden make dining (and drinking great craft beer) here a real treat in fine weather.
