Fodor's Expert Review Taranaki–Waitomo
Mt. Taranaki (Taranaki Maunga) is a receding presence in your rearview mirror as you head northeast up the Taranaki coast from New Plymouth on Highway 3. This is the most direct route to the Waitomo Caves and Hamilton, turning inland at Awakino, 90 km (56 miles) from New Plymouth. The Awakino Gorge, between Mahoenui and the coast, is appealing. Forest-filled scenic reserves are interspersed with stark, limestone outcrops and lush farmland. Look for well-worn sheep trails traversing the steep-sided hills. At the mouth of the Awakino River, little shacks dot the water's edge. These belong to seasonal fishers of the tiny migrating fish, whitebait. Awakino is worth a stop; the Awakino Hotel ( www.awakinohotel.com) offers a friendly country pub experience, or you could turn off the main road by the hotel to find a sheltered picnic spot beneath the summer-flowering pohutukawa trees. A little farther along is Mokau. Between September and November, if the whitebait... READ MORE
Mt. Taranaki (Taranaki Maunga) is a receding presence in your rearview mirror as you head northeast up the Taranaki coast from New Plymouth on Highway 3. This is the most direct route to the Waitomo Caves and Hamilton, turning inland at Awakino, 90 km (56 miles) from New Plymouth. The Awakino Gorge, between Mahoenui and the coast, is appealing. Forest-filled scenic reserves are interspersed with stark, limestone outcrops and lush farmland. Look for well-worn sheep trails traversing the steep-sided hills. At the mouth of the Awakino River, little shacks dot the water's edge. These belong to seasonal fishers of the tiny migrating fish, whitebait. Awakino is worth a stop; the Awakino Hotel ( www.awakinohotel.com) offers a friendly country pub experience, or you could turn off the main road by the hotel to find a sheltered picnic spot beneath the summer-flowering pohutukawa trees. A little farther along is Mokau. Between September and November, if the whitebait are running, delicious whitebait fritters might be on the menu at the two little cafés nearby. From Awakino to Waitomo, allow about an hour.
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