Easy Day Hike in Waitangi, New Zealand

While there are lots of great things to do if you only have a day in this beautiful town a great way to see some of the incredible nature is on this easy day hike in Waitangi, New Zealand. This is a place that I had been to a couple of times; however, both times before I had to work all morning and didn’t end up with much time to explore. This time it was different though and my friend Christina and I made our way ashore to see about going on a hike.

Waitangi has become a popular cruise ship port over the years. If you are visiting by cruise ship you will have to tender. In this post I explain the tendering process. After tendering across you then take a shuttle bus to get into the small town. When I say small town I truly mean small town, as the little village of Paihia only has about 1,719 people.

While it is a bit of an effort (with the tender and shuttle ride) to get to the town it is well worth it. There is a craft market, some lovely little shops, as well as some beautiful walks you can do.  When we got to town we were handed little maps to help us find our way. We opted to take the hike through the Opua Forest on the Paihia Lookout Track. It is listed as taking about 30 minutes although it easily took us a full hour to get up (taking time to stop and take pictures). On the way down it was true to the 30 minutes it stated.  

This hike was relatively easy, and although it was a very nice day out, with the humidity I am not going to lie I was dripping in sweat.  It was all worth it though to see the beautiful forest, listen to the lovely birds and the wonderful lookout from the top where we could even see our ship.

On the map there is also a Coastal Walk listed, and I think the next time we are there I will venture down that walk just for something different.

Nature is one of those wonderful things that is most often free to experience if you are willing to put in a little effort. And, almost every time I would have to say that effort is rewarded with beautiful views, and a renewed sense of vigor in your soul.  Aside from the emotional and physical benefits that nature has – I didn’t spend any money and got to experience a beautiful part of New Zealand with one of my best friends. I have also recently found this guide to the best day hikes in New Zealand and the next time I am there I cannot wait to explore more of this beautiful country!