Mt Arthur day trip

The Flora car park and lookout, at 945m, is one of the most popular access points to the park. From here a well graded track leads through the beech forest to the bush edge and the Mt Arthur hut.

A poled route continues up the main ridge to the summit (1,795m). In the forest you will see groves of Mountain Neinei (Dracophyllum traversii), Tree Daisy (Oleria lacunosa), and some Mountain Cedar. Above the hut is a karst (limestone) landscape. For the less adventurous who don’t wish to summit, we will take a closer look at the alpine flora, laze in the sun whilst eating your prepared picnic lunch taking in the magnificent vistas, and walk down another track to the Flora Hut. Completing a circuit back to the car park.

The ‘Friends of Flora’ conservation project can be seen en route. Read about this on our conservation page and current newsletter.

Fitness: Easy to average fitness level

Cobb Valley day trip

The Cobb Valley is 1½ hours drive from Motueka. After a climb up through the beautifully bush clad Takaka Valley we arrive at the Cobb Ridge. From here we look down in to the glacially carved Cobb Valley.

Now the choice can be yours. Your day can be spent meandering up the valley to enjoy the flora and fauna and to sit by the river to enjoy a picnic lunch in idyllic surroundings. Or you may like to take the other option of a 2 hour walk up either side of the valley to come out on the ‘tops’ above the tree line to take in the magnificent 360 degree views of Kahurangi National Park. Lunch will be had beside a pristine alpine lake. Or you may like to visit the historic cottage where Annie and Henry Chaffey lived in isolation for 40 years.

Bird sightings on either of these trips may include Kea, Kaka, Bellbird, Tomtit and Robin, among others.

Fitness: Easy to average fitness level

Asbestos Cottage day trip

This walk is a particular favorite for anyone interested on the history of the famous "Asbestos Cottage" and the two legendary characters, Annie and Henry Chaffey, who lived here near a former asbestos mine in isolation for almost 40 years. This was an amazing story of love and endurance.

The walk begins on the road to the Cobb Valley, and follows a graded former road through dense beech forest to old mine diggings, then continues over a rougher walking track, passing through interesting geological features and open manuka and lancewood groves. Fine views can be had of the Takaka River valley far below.

Fitness: Easy to average fitness level

Oparara Valley day trip

The Oparara Valley is situated 40 minutes north-east of Karamea Township on New Zealand's West Coast. A delightful day walk here can be added on to either the Heaphy or Wangapeka multi-day walks, and also as part of the West Coast Escape. (For Oparara pricing, see pages for those trips.)

The Oparara Valley is a spectacular primeval valley. On entering this valley one feels as if entering a time long ago when dinosaurs roamed this very forest. So much so that the valley was used for locations of the filming of Arthur Conan Doyle's'The Lost World' several years ago!

During our day here, we will visit the awesome Oparara limestone arch - the largest in the Southern Hemisphere - 200 hundred metres long and 40 metres high. We can also visit the Moira Gate arch, which is much smaller, but very picturesque.

A special feature will be a tour of the Honeycomb Hill Caves with a specially qualified guide. The Caves are situated in a specially protected area, with access restricted to guided tours. This extensive subterranean wonderland of conventional dropstone and flowstone formations also includes a profusion of very beautiful and delicate rarer features known variously to cavers as cave coral, petals, pearls, rimstone pools, elephants feet, moonmilk and even shawls and straws, depending on how they were formed. The caves are also home to the largest and most varied collection of subfossil bird bones ever found in new Zealand. More than 50 species, many of them extinct, have been recorded. Amongst those is 9 different moa species.

Also in the valley is the Mirror Tarn. This is a large pond and so clear it is hard to define where the water ends and the forest begins! There is also the Box Canyon, and the Crazy Paving caves. All to be seen amidst an ancient rain forest with the trees dripping with moss.

Fitness level: Easy

Other trips