Takaka Hill Walkway

  • Takaka Hill
  • Walks & Hikes

The Takaka Hill Walkway traverses diverse and rugged terrain, in particular the karst marble outcrops that are characteristic of ‘Real Middle Earth’.

Peter Jackson’s famous Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies featured the magnificent landscapes of Takaka Hill, also referred to as ‘Marble Mountain’, and this loop track takes in an array of middle earth scenery.

The public walkway is on private land, but three QEII Open Space Covenants protect the area and recognise its unusual geology. You’ll follow a 4WD road uphill through karst outcrops, sub-alpine scrub, tussock ranges and dense beech forest, before reaching a lookout with picturesque views over Golden Bay and the Kahurangi National Park.

If your stomach can handle it, there is an abandoned farm shack near the beginning of the track, where you’ll find a mummified cow that has been there for approximately 35 years. Curled around the doorframe, it is thought that a unique combination of weather conditions have prevented it from decomposing completely.

Note: Keep to the marked track as sinkholes are prominent in the area, and are often hidden by vegetation.

How to get there: You can access the Takaka Hill Walkway near the top of the Takaka Hill – the access point is signposted and there is a parking bay nearby.

Photo credit: www.nelsontasman.nz.

Address

Takaka Hill Walkway

Takaka Hill Highway
7198 Takaka Hill

Phone
+6435482304
Visit website
Email
visit@nelsontasman.nz
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