Things to do…
Walks & bike rides
It’s hard to put into words the beauty of the walks and bike rides in our area. The karangahake Gorge is over flowing with options from a nice stroll a couple of KM’s long to the rail trail that spans 100km’s! The windows walk isn’t too long at only 2.5km and is a great way to see the historic beauty of Karangahake.
The most popular section of the Rail Trail follows the Ohinemuri River through the dramatic Karangahake Gorge. A deep canyon cut through the Kaimai Ranges. This distinctly different landscape includes the cascading Owharoa waterfall, photogenic gold mining sites and the charmingly old-fashioned Victoria Battery museum.
The bike from Waihi Through to Paeroa is approximately 28kms long and take roughly 6-8 hours.
For more info on The Rail Trail, check out haurakirailtrail.co.nz
Places to eat - nom nom
Pictured to the right is the inside of the Waikino Rail Way Cafe - a super cute spot that isn’t far from us at The Cowshed. They have lovely staff & a massive amount of history not only the building but all over the walls.
Some other spots we LOVE are Thai Lemon Grass in Waihi - if you’re into Thai food, get down there!! The Falls Retreat is a gorgeous spot for dinner on the weekend and is only a 5 minute drive from us.
About 15KM away you’ll come across Waihi Beach - This place is FULL of little cute spots to get yourself a coffee & cake or go the whole hog and grab a 4 course meal. My personal favorite is Rabbit Moon for lunch or just a coffee stop, the owners are super sweet, they make everything them selves and it’s incredible!! Reminds me of grandma’s baking.
The Waihi Beach Hotel puts on a live band each weekend if you’re after some entertainment and they offer a solid beer too!
Our local Waikino Tavern is another little historic hot spot for our area, it’s been recently renovated and is definitely somewhere to stop off for a cold one!
Owharoa falls
The falls are a not to miss photo opportunity spot!!
Owharoa falls are located only 5 minutes from The Cowshed and SERIOUSLY you need to go there! A series of three waterfalls and swimming spot - this is the place for a quick dip on a hot summers day and a photo opportunity that will get you some sweet hits on INSTA!
Bring your picnic basket and make a day of it, you’re super close to all the amazing walks in the Karangahake Gorge.