Karamea is a remote, coastal wilderness, carpeted with native forest in a timeless place where the landscape itself seems to buzz with energy. While there are any amount of activities, Karamea stands out as a place to simply be; listening to the churning ocean and birdsong, watching the setting sun over the Tasman Sea, scenting the wildflower and fruits on the mountain air. It will stimulate and invigorate you and leave a lasting impression of a pristine, tropical haven of unmatched beauty.
Often described as the end of the road but this only applies to those on 4 wheels. On foot or bike you are at the beginning of a journey that is jaw dropping in its beauty and head spinning in its diversity.
Local Points of Interest and Activities:
Kahurangi National Park:
A magnificent 400,000 hectares of wilderness including the popular Heaphy and Wangapeka tracks.
Walking:
- Heaphy Track: A 4-5 day walk on foot or overnight by bike, that takes you from coastal Nikau forest, through river valleys of Beech, Rimu and Rata forest, into the Alpine Reaches and back down to grassy tundra.
- Fenian Track: Various walks through mixed podocarp/beech forest.
- Karamea Riverbank and Estuary Walk: A 45min walk with lots of birdlife.
- Big Rimu Tree Walk: A 45min return walk through lush forest. This lucky tree was too big for the early sawmiller’s saws.
Mountain Biking:
The Heaphy Track is open from 1st May to 30th September for a three year trial. This is a unique opportunity to ride in a back country environment and Karamea is fast becoming a favourite destination for cross country riders.Bird watching:
Whether you’re sitting on the deck at Beachfront Farmstay or wandering through Karamea’s bush, you are likely to see the tui, bellbird, fantail, silvereye, swallows, native pigeon, pukeko, weka, egret, blue heron, ducks and White Heron.Oparara Basin:
New Zealand’s largest limestone arches are carved into the nearby Oparara Basin. Some 15kms into the hills, the Basin is a trove of geological oddities. Penetrating cave systems that meander deep into the limestone wilderness are laden with ancient lime formations and all manner of cave dwelling life forms.- Honeycomb Hill Caves: Home to Moa bones & other extinct birds. Tours only.
- Oparara Arch: A 45 minute return from the Oparara carpark leads you to the picturesque views of the limestone arch over the Oparara River.
- Moria Gate/Mirror Tarn Loop Track: A 1 hour walk linking the Moria Gate Arch and the Mirror Tarn lake.