Weekender: Wake up to the wonder of Waikato

The delightful rolling countryside of the Waikato.

For some reason we have never really thought of the Waikato as a destination. Like too many Aucklanders, I suspect, we have approached the district as somewhere to be driven through as fast as legally possible while heading somewhere else.

A weekend based at Emanuel's by Lake Karapiro showed this has been a mistake, as our visit turned out to be too brief to do all we wanted. It offered pleasures of town, country and water and even the scenery proved much more interesting than the long flat hauls which were the abiding impression from our previous transits.

The first suspicion that we had been displaying unforgivable ignorance came with the mesmerising view from Emanuel's which is perched on a ridge above the lake and looks across a panorama of rich country landscape towards the hills of Maungatautari with its scenic reserve.

Our hosts, Ann and Eddie Rompelberg, suggested we take time to visit there and it was good advice. The volcanic cone is home to an extraordinary restoration project conducted by the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust. Some 47 kilometres of pest-proof fence surround an area of forest from which imported species and pests are being eliminated to provide some glimpse of the diversity of the original New Zealand ecology.

The project is driven by volunteers with support from local authorities and other sponsors and some $14 million has been raised. It is still a work in progress but even now, as we ambled through the forest almost alone, it has a distinctly individual sense of place. It could, I suppose be argued, that it is a little too manicured with its easy footpaths and viewing tower built by the local Lions Clubs, but this does make it wonderfully accessible to almost everyone. The full chorus of song from native birds is not yet back but it already provides a hint of a vanished natural world.

Outside the reserve gates too there are terrific views of a softer rural landscape with a distinctive appeal and this charm came again when we went for lunch at Judge's Valley vineyard which nestles in an alluring little pocket providing the microclimate which allows its planting of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec to flourish. The Bordeaux-style wine lives up to its premium quality billing and tasting it with a good food platter in the vineyard restaurant is a very pleasant way to spend an hour or two. And if this has whetted your appetite there are several other Waikato vineyards.

The Waikato's attractions are not, however, all rural. Emanuel's is not far from Cambridge, a pleasing town which manages the difficult act of highlighting its tourist appeal while retaining a working country town feel. The anonymous multiples haven't taken over its main streets which feature an excellent bookshop and some decent cafes with the one we stumbled into, Rata, being a real find. And there is a fine walk along the Waikato River within easy reach.