Top Ten New Zealand Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

New Zealand, South Island Fly-Fishing Photo Gallery

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Want to float your way through remote kiwi wilderness? Head for the Kaweka State Forest, northwest of Napier, and the Mangatutu Thermal Springs Reserve. It is the starting point for a four-hour walk up the Mohaka River through beautiful native bush (the Kiwi term for dense, indigenous woodland).

Your destination is the Mangatainoka Hot Pool, a natural thermal pool. Test your tube when you get there, then pitch your tent for a night at a nearby campsite. In the morning put on your hard hat, grab your tube, and prepare for a wet and wild day. It takes up to six hours to tube the Mohaka, with rapids reaching grade II level. A couple of local companies offer guided trips, but if you're experienced, go it alone.