Pureora Forest - NZ's best kept secret: Middle Earth quite literally!

**Waihou Thumper** · 25th October 2010, 18:15

Went for a little ride with Jake, and Clarkie...Who should turn up at the intersection just out of Wharepapa South - Eddie on his 950A travelling home to Wellywood, home of the Warner Brothers 'Middle Earth'
Well, we tootled off and rode around Mangakino and Whakamaru. Headed out towards Pureora Forest Park. The HQ and the slip road alongside the campgrounds is nice metal and I have done this many times wondering what lurks inside that old forest....
A quick look at the map and with Eddies prior knowledge....(He was gonna do this secretly till he bumped into us) we turned around and hit the most magnificent road into the deep, deep forest.......
The long and the short of it is.....
The Three Amigos' (for today anyway) ended up at the Geographical Centre of the North Island....(I wonder where that South Island one is?....Hmmm)
A quick 300M walk and we were there, marked by a little plinth with no reference at all just a bit of a spiel....
It was only discovered in 1981 I think the Maoris might have known a little longer.....perhaps? Well, if they actually cared, I dunno...
Anyway, the location is......S38 31 31.8 E175 40 22.9 approx....
We had a great day out and no kidding, there is a great playground out there, camping too, and Dino! Pig hunting mate in abundance......
I recommend it.

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**dino3310** · 25th October 2010, 18:31

nice one mate.... yeah lots of piggies in there mate some nice stags too, was looking at sneaking in over summer

**Waihou Thumper** · 25th October 2010, 18:33

Originally Posted by dino3310

nice one mate.... yeah lots of piggies in there mate some nice stags, was looking at sneaking in over summer

Put the harnesses on the pig dogs? (most unlikely duo ever) and trundled off in his gummies with GPS and Rifle..... They had little antennas so he could track 'em.... Not to get the dogs back, but rather to find the Porker! hehe

**dino3310** · 25th October 2010, 19:01

Originally Posted by NZKTM

Can a Mod correct the spelling of the heading please... to....Quite....Ta

hahaha naaa leave it like that you live in te aroha we expect it

ops: Te Aroha

**Waihou Thumper** · 25th October 2010, 19:06

Originally Posted by dino3310

hahaha naaa leave it like that you live in te aroha we expect it

T.......and A...thank you!

**Eddieb** · 25th October 2010, 20:46

Yep, there were some good roads through there, and plenty more to explore.

And Dino, the hunter was pointing out fresh sign just in the carpark.

A quick stop at a dam before the forest.

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Mark at the final turnoff

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How the point was found.

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**ADVGD** · 25th October 2010, 21:03

Nice pics, nice info

Looks like it was great weather for ADV riders all round NZ... gotta love weekends like these

**Gremlin** · 26th October 2010, 00:04

Yep, been in there a couple of times already, tracking the roads for the NZOGPS mapsets... still need at least one more visit.

Where is that dam?

**Waihou Thumper** · 26th October 2010, 04:09

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Where is that dam?

It is on the way to Mangakino from Wharepapa South....there is a spillway and generating station there. The name escapes me for the time being...

**agricon** · 26th October 2010, 13:46

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Yep, been in there a couple of times already, tracking the roads for the NZOGPS mapsets... still need at least one more visit.

Where is that dam?

Co-ordinates (if you have a GPS)

38deg 17'30.60"S
175deg 40'53.92"E

**dino3310** · 26th October 2010, 16:43

Originally Posted by NZKTM

It is on the way to Mangakino from Wharepapa South....there is a spillway and generating station there. The name escapes me for the time being...

waipapa, lived there for a short time as a boy, greats all had farms at Arohena and pukeatua, havent been back in that bush(logging) since my early 20s wouldnt know where to go now, would definately get lost

so i'l have to make a date with your GPS mark

**gav24** · 26th October 2010, 19:34

Camped in there about 18 months ago.
An amazing dawn chorus with the Kokako calling out of the beech forest.
Also I remember heaps of blackberries in the bushes at the camp ground - hmmm, free food! - Also heaps of Possums at night!
Great river swimming as well.
Will have to continue through the park next time, sounds great.

**XF650** · 27th October 2010, 07:15

Camo pants, forest, river & pigs - sounds like "deliverence"

**dino3310** · 27th October 2010, 20:04

Originally Posted by XF650

Camo pants, forest, river & pigs - sounds like "deliverence"

your welcome to bring your Banjo

**Waihou Thumper** · 27th October 2010, 20:58

Cos Charley Boorman was one of the nippers on the deck when they played the dueling banjos tune in the movie...
I think it was directed by his father, hence he had a part...
Anakin wasn't to be seen though, he was still learning to ride the tri-cycle...