Mangakino
A glassy lake, streams full of trout, vast native forests, rolling farmland and country villages - these are what make Mangakino special.
Tranquil Mangakino, beside beautiful Lake Maraetai, is a friendly community where people come for everything from wakeboarding to relaxation. Located in the heart of the North Island in the Taupo Distrct, Mangakino borders the western shores of Lake Maraetai on the Waikato River. Surrounded by water, forest and farmland, Mangakino is a great place for both peace and tranquillity and adventure.
The Crown acquired the Wairarapa Lakes from Ngati Kahungunu in 1896, and for this they were later given land that is now present-day Mangakino in 1915. At that time it was native bush, pumice, barren, unoccupied and unfarmed.
A settlement originally of workers
After the Karapiro Dam was finished, workers moved on to the next dam construction site, which was near Mangakino. The Crown, under the Public Works Act, reqacuired an area at Mangakino to build a hydroelectric station and temporary township to house the construction workers. It was only meant to be a temporary town under the planned dams were completed. Work on the damns continued through to the 1960s, with villages at Whakamaru, Waipapa, Maraetai and Atiamuri also popping up to house the associated workforce. Waipapa and Maraetai have since been disbanded.
Mangakino's population decreased after the completion of the dams, and is now home to about 900.
Bring your fishing rod and mountain bike
The town and greater area have the facilities and space for biking, boating, kayaking, wakeboarding, fishing and hiking. The Waikato River Trails are perfect for mountain biking and tramping enthusiasts or for those seeking a leisurely stroll through beautiful native bush.
Mangakino has a beautifully scenic lake, a result of the hydro dams which themselves are spectacular structures to see.
(for more information click on this link:http://www.greatlaketaupo.com/new-zealand/EventsCapital)
Taupo District Council | Ph: 07 376 0899 | 30 Tongariro Street, Taupō | taupodc.govt.nz
A Glimpse of the Kaka
Get to know the Pureora Forest Park
Forest Tower
This 12 m high tower is a 10 minute walk from Bismarck Rd car park. It gives you an entirely different perspective of life up in the forest canopy. It is a good spot for observing native birds such as kuku (kereru/native pigeon), kakariki (parakeets), and kaka (forest parrot).
The Buried Forest
1800 years ago a forest was knocked over, buried and preserved by a violent eruption from a huge volcano, whose remains now form Lake Taupo. In 1983 this remarkable forest was accidentally uncovered by a digger. Today the uncovered logs lie as they fell during the volcanic eruption.
Treetop protest site
One of New Zealand’s most significant conservation battles took place at Pureora in 1978. Protestors occupied platforms built in the treetops (near the site of the present day Forest Tower) and their actions led to a government-imposed logging moratorium and, eventually, the end of native forest logging in the Park.
Pouakani totara tree
The largest recorded totara tree in New Zealand is located on private land on SH 30, approximately 10 minutes drive east of the Pureora Field Base. It will take you 20 minutes to walk from the car park to the tree.
Vintage steam hauler
The steam winch on Pikiariki Rd was used until the late 1940s to haul logs from the forest for milling.
Old crawler tractor
In the 1950s, the two-tonne Caterpillar tractor on Link Rd was used to pull split totara posts and battens from the bush. When it broke down it was left where it stood for the forest to claim