Posted by Where: Tukituki Trail Swingbridge Loop, Waipukurau, Hawke’s Bay
Distance & Time: 6.5km, 1.5 hours
Take: Camera, sunscreen, water
Amenities on route: Carpark/entry points at several points along the loop.
Cost of the walk: Free
This was an unplanned walk – we had to drop our van in Waipukurau to have some work done, and it was a beautiful spring day so we decided to go for a walk along the river. The Tukituki trail can either be walked or biked, with options to start and stop the walk at various points along the trail.
We parked at the trail entrance in Waipukurau by the indoor pools and walked towards the swingbridge. The trail is very well formed and we passed people on mobility scooters, with prams, and on bikes all doing the loop. The loop is mostly along the bank of the river.
There was good signage along the trail, explaining points of interest (including at the water treatment plant, which was actually quite interesting!) and it would be pretty tricky to get lost here! As long as you can always see/hear the river, you’re fine.
Amy’s Advice – if it’s a scorching hot day, remember to take your togs for a post-walk swim in the river!
Once you cross over the swing bridge it’s time to return alongside the river. On this part the river is on the left side, while farmland is on the right, and if you time it right, like we did, you’ll have all the adorableness in the form of baby lambs and calves to admire!
Definitely take your hat + sunscreen with you though, as there is barely any shade on the walk. And if you do what we did and take some bakery treats with you for morning tea, there aren’t any rubbish bins on the loop so you’ll need to bring it all back with you.
Once you’re back at the town end of the walk, you can either keep going along the walk or cross the bridge over the main road back to town/the car park. And that’s it – a super easy riverside stroll in the sun, with some adorable baby animals to look at. Perfect!
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The photos were taken by Paul + I!
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