Beauty spot

The top viewing point looks out over the Waikato and Ngaruawahia.

After a full on week as we hurtle toward a holiday, I took a few hours off to clear my head and head up the Hakarimata Kauri Loop Track. Having already walked to the summit earlier in the year I was dreading this walk.

'I don't know if my body can cope with exerting that much energy!' I thought as I hopped in my car with my sister, Casey.

The weather wasn't brilliant but the cooler air and light rain made it easier to walk without being over heated.

We began the track with a gradual gradient followed by stairs, two hours I thought! I can't do two hours of up! But after 10 minutes we came to a junction; the track does a loop at this point and you can chose which way to do the track. We looked at both: Left equalled steep, right looked like a nice gentle increase. Right it was. The track levelled out and we wandered through native New Zealand bush dotted with kauri trees. We reached the kauri grove in less than half an hour (and we're both reasonably unfit right now).

Wow is all I can say. There is a lookout over the bush and you can't help but feel a sense of peace and take a deep breath of the fresh bush air.

We continued around the full loop and reached the top lookout (275m above seal level) which was more strenuous than the start of the track but nothing like the summit track. But the lookout for me was even more incredible. The photos do not do it justice and to date this would be one of my favourite walks in the Waikato. It is perfect for building fitness but not wearing yourself out and has a stunning range of scenery along the way.

Type of track: Tramping track with good footing and gradual gradient to begin followed by several sets of steep stairs with a steep descent to follow. Beautiful views at the top, also worth just doing the 40 minute one way trip to the kauri grove if you're short on time or fitness. Requires a reasonable level of fitness but it only took us 1 hour to complete the loop with stops and we're not that fit!
Time: 40 min to the kauri grove or a generous 2 hr return for full loop (3km).
Getting there: The track leaves from Parker Rd, off Hakarimata Rd between Ngaruawahia and Huntly.