Top child friendly walks in Waipā

Get outside this summer and enjoy the beautiful walks Waipā has to offer. These walks are suitable for all ages and are a great opportunity to explore Waipā with your kids.

Lake Ngā Roto Walkway

Lake Ngā Roto Walkway is a 6km loop trail located on Bank Road between Pirongia and Te Awamutu. It offers the chance to see wildlife and is good for all skill levels. The walkway is mainly used for walking, running and bird watching. Dogs are allowed to use the trail as long as they are kept on a leash.

Pioneer Walkway

Pioneer Walk is a 1.6km point to point trail located in Te Awamutu. It features the Te Awamutu Rose Gardens and is great for all skill levels. The trial is primarily used for walking, running and cycling. The walk will take you through to Pop n Good Playground which is a great place for children to play and learn to ride bikes. Dogs are allowed to use the trail as long as they are kept on a leash.

Lake Te Koo Utu Walk

Lake Te Koo Utu Walk is a 1.4km loop trail in Cambridge and is a great park setting for all skill levels. There are plenty of spaces for picnics around Lake Te Koo Utu and is mainly used for walking and running. Dogs are allowed to use the trial.

Maungakawa Scenic Reserve Loop

The Maungakawa Scenic Reserve Loop is a 1.4km loop trail in Cambridge that is mainly used for walking and hiking. It is a scenic walk with exotic trees and native birdlife, the walk will take 30 minutes. The nearby Gudex Memorial Park is a fitting picnic spot, with wide open space, clear views of the Waikato and Hauraki Plains and stunning flowering cherries in the spring.

Te Awa River Ride

The Te Awa River Ride starts in Cambridge on Maungatautari Road and ends at Lake Karāpiro. It is a great 8.4km walk or cycle, with it being a mostly 3m wide concreted path. Lake Karāpiro is a great start/finish point or to stop for a picnic along the way. If you’re taking children it is a fair distance to walk so depending on their age you may want to bike rather than walk.

Mangakara Nature Walk

The Mangakara Nature Walk on Mt Pirongia is an enjoyable one-hour circuit through native forest. It is perfect for children, the easy track bends through ancient forest past large rimu, kahikatea, tawa, pukatea and kohekohe trees and crosses over the Mangakara stream before looping back around.

With educational signs that describe point of interest and the mountains history along the way with something new to discover at each station.

Yarndley’s Bush

Home to one of the largest remaining Kahikatea trees, Yarndley’s Bush provides a great family friendly walk near Hamilton and Te Awamutu. The walk is a 30 minute loop with mostly boardwalks and some gravel sections. The forest is nestled amongst the rolling farmland north of Te Awamutu, with an impressive 14 hectares of Kahikatea stands, some over 35 metres tall.

A hill leads down to the an easy boardwalk which zigzags through the giant trees to a canopy tower which provides a bird’s eye view of the forest below and a perfect spot to stop for a picnic, before looping back around.