Story by Jonathan
Karangahake Cabin Season
Adventure in Waikino, Waikato, NZ
The Karangahake Gorge is one of the North Island's most underrated locations. We loaded the car for a short road trip from Auckland, excited to spend the weekend exploring the historic gorge. We drove a familiar road, one that we'd taken many a time the previous summer, only this time it led us to a destination we never knew existed. Hidden in the hills of the valley, this cosy, wooden dome cabin was somewhere we were excited to call home for the weekend. We arrived late in the afternoon and Amir was waiting to greet us at the gate. He gave us the rundown of The Dome and introduced us to the neighbours – two dogs, three goats and loooots of alpacas. We settled in with a glass of wine before heading to Waihi for burgers and live music.
The next day, we woke to bird song as we watched the sunrise and toasted waffles while the fog lifted in the valley. We then set off for a day filled with activities. It started with a short walk to a gorgeous little waterfall at the bottom of the road, followed by an exploration of every antique shop in Paeroa. We couldn’t not take a walk through the gorge, and we had scouted a little location from the drive down that we were eager to find. We took the rail tunnel loop from the carpark and found ourselves playing among boulders and relaxing down by the river. To end the day, we returned to The Dome and created the ultimate cabin vibe with our candles and cheese platter. We raised a glass to a perfect weekend escape, with everything we needed and nothing more....
The next day, we woke to bird song as we watched the sunrise and toasted waffles while the fog lifted in the valley. We then set off for a day filled with activities. It started with a short walk to a gorgeous little waterfall at the bottom of the road, followed by an exploration of every antique shop in Paeroa. We couldn’t not take a walk through the gorge, and we had scouted a little location from the drive down that we were eager to find. We took the rail tunnel loop from the carpark and found ourselves playing among boulders and relaxing down by the river. To end the day, we returned to The Dome and created the ultimate cabin vibe with our candles and cheese platter. We raised a glass to a perfect weekend escape, with everything we needed and nothing more....
Things We Did
- Walk
- Town
- Sunset
- Waterfall
Start at Karangahake Hall and walk through the foundations of the Crown Battery before climbing up onto the Western Portal Bridge over the river. Taking in the beautiful scenes, you'll feel very small in this spectacular gorge though only a short walk from the car park. It's a small investment for a massive reward!...
Our Adventure Map
Where we stayed
Things we did
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