Bush Walks & Waterfalls HB/Gisborne in New Zealand

"Te Urewera National Park and Lake Waikaremoana. tribal lands of the Tuhoe people, are abundant with bush walks and waterfalls, the most famous walk being the four-day Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk. There are a multitude of shorter day walks and closer to the Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre you’ll find the Aniwaniwa Falls and spectacular Papakorito Falls."

"Only a 30-minute drive north of Napier you can access both Te Ana Falls and Tangoio Falls from the track. Ten minutes in take the stream track to the 20-metre high Te Ana Falls. It’s a beautiful and serene walk through native bush. Tangoio Falls isn’t far away."

"Accessed by a shingle road the diverse walk takes you across farmland, under beautiful sandstone bluffs and through lowland forest to the Boundary Stream Scenic Reserve and onto a breath-taking 58-metre waterfall cascading down to a swimmable pool below. It’s well-worth the one and half return journey and while you’re in this idyllic bush-clad spot take advantage of the picnic table to rest and listen to the birdsong. It’s a refreshing change from the Hawke’s Bay barren landscape of brown hills and one of the few places you can truly appreciate what the area once looked like."

"It’s a bit of a drive out to the ranges on the Napier-Taihape Road but well worth it. The 63-hectacre reserve near Kuripapango was gifted to Forest & Bird by the Lowry family more than 60 years ago so the bird life is abundant. The name Blowhard Bush harks back to the horse-drawn coaches of the past when the hard terrain tested the horses as they struggled to cross the divide. It’s a wonderland of forested weird limestone and interesting geological formations, tomos and caves and tells the story of historic volcanic eruptions."

"If you’re travelling between Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay stop at Morere Hot Springs. An ancient world of rainforest and nikau palms invite you to explore a magical and mystical 364 hectares of rainforest. To me the best thing of all is at the end of the three-hour walk is being able to sit in a tub of ancient sea water next to a bubbling stream. Absolute serenity."