Nutshell

• Location: Southern end of the North South Track in the Kaimai Mamaku Forest
• Access: There are many tracks that lead onto the North South Track:
  • Te Tuhi track (Waikato side, car park at the end of Te Tuhi Road).
  • Ngamarama track and Leyland O’Brien Tramline (Bay of Plenty side, car park at the end of Whakamarama Road, both tracks veer off the Pa Kereru Loop track).
  • North South track and Henderson Tramline are accessible from State Highway 29,
  • Ngamuwahine Track from Ngamuwahine Road, just off SH29.

• DOC Duration: Click here for DOC website track info
• Forest Family Times:
  • Te Tuhi track to North South junction – ~3 hours on the way there and ~2 hours on the way back, walking with a 10, 11 and 12 year old (Walking time only – doesn’t include lunch or swim stop).
  • Ngamarama track to North South Junction – 5 hours with a 5, 6, 7 and two 8 year olds (This time includes breaks after every hour of walking).
  • North South track to Te Whare Okioki – 1-1.5 hours with or without kids.
  • From hut back to Whakamarama Car park via Leyland O’Brien Tramline, took two adults 4 hours with one stop.
  • I have also met 3 pairs of adults at the hut that have walked in from Aongatete, Wairere Falls and SH 29.

• Track Grade: Advanced – this DOC grade is due to stream/river crossings. Always look up and follow the orange triangles and be cautious at stream crossing especially after intense rainfall. Otherwise these tracks are simple to follow.
• Highlights/Features: Old Tramline cuttings and remnants of sleepers and wheels. Views of the Waikato along the Te Tuhi track. Plenty of streams to have a dip in or to enjoy a lunch break. Click on our track links above for info on each track.
• Notes:
  • There are several small stream crossings on all three tracks but there is one larger ~ knee deep crossing of the Ngamuwahine River on the Leyland O’Brien track that may be too dangerous to cross in heavy flow especially with kids.
  • No dogs allowed unless by permit.
  • There is a toilet at the car park in Whakamarama but not at Te Tuhi Road end.
  • There is solar lighting and a fire place in the hut, a USB port for charging and I managed to send a txt message (spark) from the Helipad out the back.
  • Great work by Kaimai Ridgeway Trust