This trail takes walkers along the South Pacific on New Zealand 's east coast, past some of the finest beaches, rugged farm land and Maori tribal homeland. Nestled at the base of a prominent local landmark called 'Puketiti', amidst 90 acres of native and exotic forest is the Homestead at Puketiti Station, your home for the next 6 days. The Homestead is situated at the front of a historic 7000-acre sheep and cattle station that has prospered on the east coast for over 150 years. The station has been a family business since the original settlers arrived on the east coast and although the station is a modern day example of farming, and many of the pioneering buildings and machinery are still in use today offering a unique snapshot into the days of old.
The Homestead was built in 1908 but was added on to in later years. Many of the trees around the house were planted by the early pioneers and there are trees from all over the globe, including an impressive stand of Californian Redwoods. The house and surrounding gardens play host to a large number of native birds making the evening birdsong an event that you won't forget.
During your stay at Puketiti Station, you will experience the pioneering spirit that is locked up in this historic location and at the same time witness some of the most spectacular sights and scenes that the east coast has to offer. You will have the opportunity to be part of a modern day sheep and cattle station, capturing the day-to-day station life and see some of the best Stockmen on the coast at work.
You will also walk on some of the best local beaches that are not only world famous for their surf but also are rich with sea life. The beach walks along the shores of the Pacific Ocean will take you past some of the early settlements of what was once a thriving hub of the New Zealand lamb trade. This excursion will also take you past meeting houses or 'Marae that are still a corner stone of the local Maori culture.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: You will be picked up from Gisborne Airport and driven up the coastal road which runs along the South Pacific coastline, ducking inland here and there among the native New Zealand bush (forest). You will arrive at Puketiti Station (a station is a farm which is over 7000 acres in size). As you are driven into the station you will pass the woolshed (where the sheep are shorn), Shearer's cook house and living quarters, then follow a tree shaded drive which suddenly bursts open to reveal the magnificent double storied, many roomed homestead, built in the early 1900s. You will feel as though you are stepping back in time. This is where you will be staying for the next 6 nights.
Day 2: After breakfasting you will get booted up and ready to walk around the 2400 hectares of Puketiti Station. Puketiti farms sheep and beef cattle. The terrain is steep and changing but very fertile. Because of the steep country, horses are vital for the operation of the station as there are many places where a vehicle can't go. You will get a good idea of how the farm operates at the same time as experiencing the things that make New Zealand unique. The Punga trees, Cabbage trees and native birds abound. You will picnic lunch by a picturesque steam. You will see a Shepherd 'working' his dogs (these dogs respond to different whistles and commands in order to move sheep and cattle from place to place). You will visit the woolshed where you will see what is involved in the process of getting the wool from the sheep to your sweater. You have the option of going to the local pub, the Te Puia Springs Hotel, for a before or after dinner drink and a soak in the natural mineral sulfur pool.
Day 3: Today guests will be transported down to the nearby Waipiro Bay. Waipiro Bay was for over 30 years, in the late 1800s, one of the chief business centers of the East Coast, hub of country administration and of social activities. The township gradually declined after the East Coast road was pushed through, its course inland from Waipiro Bay. You will breathe the atmosphere of the past as you wander through the old town, before walking along the beach past the quaint little church built by the Pakeha (European) settlers in the mid 1890s and on past the local marae (Maori meeting house). You will lunch on the veranda of the Tokomaru Bay Hotel overlooking the ocean. Whether the beach walk is in the morning or afternoon will depend on the tide. You will then return to the Homestead for dinner.
Day 4: With lunch packed you be transported from Puketiti Station over to the neighbouring station 'Kiteroa Station'. Kiteroa is Maori for long view. The views of Mount Hikurangi and the surrounding Raukumara Range are breathtaking. Hikurangi at 5700 feet is the highest peak in the region. Sacred to the Maoris as tradition has it that this was the final resting place of Maui's great canoe, from which he fished the North Island out of the sea. The peak of Hikurangi is also the first land in New Zealand to catch the rays of the morning sun. You will then drop down into the Makarika creek, which is a clear mountain stream, which headwaters originate at Puketiti, and runs out to the South Pacific. After walking up the creek you will come to the campsite where we will break for lunch will be before climbing back out to the Kiteroa homestead. Dinner and a well-earned drink on the veranda await you back at Puketiti Station.
Day 5: Today guests will be driven through the beautiful East Coast countryside to Te Araroa. From here we take a 4-wheel drive track to the East Cape, the most eastern most part of New Zealand, to walk up to the lighthouse. On this trip you will get a real appreciation for the beauty and ruggedness of this untouched paradise, passing through private land to give you unobstructed vistas of the Pacific Ocean. Lunch and drinks today will be at one of the local country taverns, nestled in the rich New Zealand landscape along with the small bustling local villages that make up the remote communities of this isolated area.
Day 6: A visit to nearby Tolaga Bay today will include a walk down the historic wharf, the longest wharf in the southern hemisphere, 660 metres. From there we will take the walkway over to Cooks Cove. This cove consists of a sheltered inlet where you can explore the Hole-in-the-wall and the memorial commemorating Captain James Cook's visit to the area in 1769 as part of his circumnavigation of New Zealand. We will have lunch here before the walk back to Tolaga, with a visit to the local Tolaga Bay Cashmere clothing company, New Zealand 's own Cashmere produced in classic tradition, on the way home.
Day 7: An optional farm trek or opportunity to take in some more of the local spectacular scenery, before sadly leaving the farm and returning to the real world.
Meeting Point: Gisborne Airport. Transfers are included at pre-set time.
Difficulty of Walk: Moderate terrain with some ascent and descents; mostly open hillsides, woodland paths, village walks and some beach walks.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
$1,995 per person, shared; $120 single supplement.
Price Includes:
- 6 nights guest house accommodation
- 5 days of guided walking
- All meals
- Back-up transportation during walk
- Transfers to/from Gisbourne Airport at pre-set time
- Tax.
Also see tour packages in:
Australia and Oceania
New Zealand
Walking Tours
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