Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tours. Grab a pot of vitamin E cream with bee pollen and manuka honey on your way
out.
Paengaroa; adult/child/family $104/49/277; 9am-4pm)
puts a few ripples on the surface of
an otherwise tranquil 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 soci-
able, barn-like affair on the Whakatane side of town with a roomy communal space and
small, tidy bedrooms.
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 Arawacanoe in 1340, commemorated with a somewhat underwhelming
1940 monument on the foreshore. Arguably, though, the town is more famous for
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.
