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6km from Opotiki
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Tirohanga |
328km from Gisborne
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Continuation of sandy beach and sand dunes, close to the road. Good surf fishing and swimming. The Tirohanga Bluff, a hill on the seaward side of the road, has an old Māori fortification on top where old trenches are easily discernible. The Tirohanga Beach Motor Camp has up-to-date modern cooking and ablution blocks and the owners offer every assistance to camper. And right next door is the well stocked Tirohanga Beach Store.
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Tirohanga Beach Motor Camp
East Coast Road, RD 1, Opotiki. Robert McLellan. RIght on the Motu Trails and Beach. P or Fx: 07-315 7942 Tirohanga Beach Store State Highway 35. P or Fx: 07-315 7943 |
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11km from Opotiki
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Waiaua
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323km from Gisborne
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A pleasant picnic area alongside a small river.
MOTU ROAD SCENIC DETOUR
Cross the Waiaua River and turn right for the Motu Road to Matawai via Toa Toa and Motu. Three kms on the left are the Waiaua Church & Marae. As a contrast to the coastal scenery and easy driving on SH35 the old Motu coach road provides a more challenging drive on metalled road through some of the best rugged bush-clad mountainous country in New Zealand. Toa Toa - Valley of the Clouds, some 40km from Ōpōtiki, now a quiet backwater, once supported a thriving community with timber mills, cheese factory, post office and school. Continue by veering right at Toa Toa.
A detour at the Motu Falls - well signposted - will prove rewarding. With good amenities the falls is an ideal place for a picnic lunch. Allow the best part of a day for the 140-odd km round trip back to Ōpōtiki via the Waioeka Gorge or continue on from Matawai to Gisborne (see Ōpōtiki to Gisborne via Waioeka Gorge Pg 56 & 58 & Motu Trails pages 5 to 7 for services available).
Cross the Waiaua River and turn right for the Motu Road to Matawai via Toa Toa and Motu. Three kms on the left are the Waiaua Church & Marae. As a contrast to the coastal scenery and easy driving on SH35 the old Motu coach road provides a more challenging drive on metalled road through some of the best rugged bush-clad mountainous country in New Zealand. Toa Toa - Valley of the Clouds, some 40km from Ōpōtiki, now a quiet backwater, once supported a thriving community with timber mills, cheese factory, post office and school. Continue by veering right at Toa Toa.
A detour at the Motu Falls - well signposted - will prove rewarding. With good amenities the falls is an ideal place for a picnic lunch. Allow the best part of a day for the 140-odd km round trip back to Ōpōtiki via the Waioeka Gorge or continue on from Matawai to Gisborne (see Ōpōtiki to Gisborne via Waioeka Gorge Pg 56 & 58 & Motu Trails pages 5 to 7 for services available).
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13km from Opotiki
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Omarumutu |
321km from Gisborne
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This is the site of the Omarumutu War Memorial Hall, the interior decoration of which belongs with the finest Māori art in the country. The Tutamure meeting-house reveres the ancestral chief of the present Ngātirua sub-tribe of Whakatohea, who attacked and won his battle with Kahungunu at Te Mahia Peninsula. Visitors are welcome to inspect the Marae grounds unless there is a Tangi [funeral] being held, this is indicated when the Marae flag is flying at half mast.
The original pā sites of Tutamure may still be seen today at Rahui. The Makeo peak, behind Omarumutu, was one of his strongholds.
The original pā sites of Tutamure may still be seen today at Rahui. The Makeo peak, behind Omarumutu, was one of his strongholds.
