Gisborne Catered Walks
and Accommodation
Gisborne Catered Walks
and Accommodation
If challenged for time and fitness we have an ideal selection of short farm walks to cater for your needs. The Green Walk can be shortened to become the Yellow Walk, still taking in some of the fantastic views the property provides, 1-1.5hours. Or venture along the cut tracks through the small patch of native bush on the edge of the garden. Walking along the river's edge in the bush is just magic, 10-45 minutes. The Orange Walk can be shortened as well. Guided walks available.
Note: All Short Walks are closed from the 30th August to Labour Weekend.
Venture along the cut tracks through the small patch of native bush on the edge of the garden. Walking along the river’s edge in the bush is just magic.
The Old Shepherd’s Walk is the perfect choice for all ages and levels of fitness. Following a bulldozed trail along shiny green paddocks, you will encounter bizarre sandstone formations. Will you spot the famous Gorilla Head? Continuing on, the Walk will lead you through a gap of giant rocks and boulders before offering a breath taking vista over coastal Gisborne and the high country. From its turning point, the Old Shepherd’s Walk will gently take you up a hill to its highest point providing a bird’s-eye view over the lush Haurata Gardens and the Ngatapa Mountain. Be prepared to meet heaps of sheep and cattle roaming the land around the walk.
The majestic atmosphere created by all the large rocks gives you a sense of wonder at the awesome power of the earth. You feel as if you are on a movie set of Lord of the Rings. Although it is a short walk, the terrain is difficult and in some places dangerous so those who attempt this walk have to be very sure footed and the river is crossed 4 times.
The terrain is very much big hill country making the walks reasonably challenging therefore the fitness level needs to be good. Some of the walking is on bulldozed tracks and parts are on narrow sheep tracks on the side of steep hills. Small bogs and creeks have to be walked through. Each walk has a small area of bush so you get the idea of what the land was like before the settlers arrived in the 1910s and 20s. Guided walks are available. Cell phone coverage can be received on Telecom mobiles from mid to high hills. The retreat is ‘home base’ - no need to carry luggage, just a day pack.
Note: Red and Blue Walks are closed from the 30th August to the 30th October due to lambing. Green Walk is closed from the 30th August to Labour Weekend.
This is the most challenging of the three farm walks. Leaving the retreat and walking up to the high point above the woolshed (770m) then heading off down the hill to view 3 fascinating waterfalls at 300m above sea level. Opportunities to have a stop along the way for a rest or refreshing swim. Then following the river back to the retreat.
Start out walking from 600 metres above sea level to some native QE11 bush then on to the Aerial Range 922 metres above sea level with views of Mt Hikurangi in the North, Gisborne and Young Nicks Head in the East. Panekiri Bluff in the West (Waikaremoana). Built on the Aerial range is a large telecom tower, the Maori’s call the range Matakitaki (observation point). This is where the East Coast plate is pushing on the Pacific plate creating the unique land structure. Soil types differing on either side of the range. See the remains of huge native trees burnt by out of control fires caused by farmers clearing land back in the 1920’s.
Take a historic walk on Sam and Jill Charteris’s Hillview Station to the top of Ngatapa Mountain. The walk will take you past a disused oil rig site where in 1985 Petro Corp tried to drill for oil. They capped the hole and left as they didn’t have the right equipment to go deep enough (we think). In 1869 the Ringatu church leader Te Kooti took his people to the top of Ngatapa Mountain to a pa site. He was surrounded by the English constabulary and Ropata from the Ngati-Porou tribe before escaping over the cliffs into the Ureweras. See the hole in the ground where Ropata blew the pallistrades.
