Here's why Mount Tauhara is definitely worth the climb
At the summit of Mount Tauhara - this photo was taken by a couple of Japanese tourists we met.
“A 5km return in 2-3 hours, the Mount Tauhara track, at least on a sunny day, treats you to pretty epic views. You can be up and down the mountain and still be home in time for lunch. Just remember to close your mouth around the flying ants. ”
Your reward at the top of Mount Tauhara - epic views of the peaks in Tōngariro National Park.
Mount Tauhara is a 65,000 year old dormant lava dome volcano, the gentle giant that stands as gatekeeper to Lake Taupō. The 2.5km track to the summit (1,088m/3,570ft) is popular with locals and visitors alike. At the top, the tall fella and I were treated to panoramic views of the district, and even as far as the peaks of Tongariro National Park.
After a weekend of foodie indulgence for our anniversary, a walk up Mount Tauhara was a must-do before heading home to Whakatāne. After downing coffees and bacon butties at the Sunday market (Aaron was stoked that the butties came with HP sauce), we drove the 10 minutes out of Taupō to the Mount Tauhara carpark. The car park is at the end of Mountain Road, just before a gated working sheep farm.
The steepest section is actually through the farmland - from here we were already treated to amazing views of Taupō. This is the most exposed section, so if you start your walk around 11am like us, make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen. It’s easy to follow the markers up the hill, and the 4WD farm track can’t be missed. Once you get into the bush, there’s a lot more shade, although that’s no guarantee that you’ll sweat any less.
I’m used to carrying my day pack with my water, snacks, First Aid kit and PLB, but most people we met just carried a water bottle, or small runner’s packs. One local even mentioned that I must be training for a bigger hike since my pack was so big (it’s only 28L!). At the least, bring water and some snacks with you - there’s a stream halfway up the mountain if you need to top up. Even though it’s only 2.5km to the summit, there’s still over 500m of elevation to tackle. Most of the track is fairly steady underfoot, with some rooty and steep sections that my short legs did struggle with. There were also some really narrow sections, and we found ourselves often giving way often to hikers coming down, or stepping aside to let faster ones get through.
The views from the summit were awesome, but I reckon the ones from ‘the rock’ are worth the extra ten minutes walk and fighting off the flying ants. You read that right, ants with wings. From the radio tower, look for the track track that heads right. People must have been making their own tracks over the years, because despite following what I thought looked like the track, we zigzagged our way along the ridge until we popped out a small clearing/junction. From here, there’s a bit of scrambling over rocks, so make sure to watch your step.
As we were about to head down, we met a local who told us that we could go back down the way we came, or go down the track we saw at the junction earlier. Feeling adventurous, I led us down the narrow and steep track (the start was a bit sketchy). It almost looked like water had carved the track. Being shorter, my hips were at the narrowest part of the track, which slowed me down a lot. In some parts, it was even easier to go down sideways! It only took us 15 minutes before we met up with the main track. If you’re up for an adventure, I say go for it!
We topped up my drink bottle at the stream on our way down - nothing beats mountain water I reckon. On the way down, the track was much quieter in the afternoon heat. My creaky knees did ok, and I didn’t even need to do any bum sliding this time round. Turned out that the tall fella packed a couple of ginger beers in his pack, and they were a lovely treat before making our way down the farmland to the car.
Is it worth the sweat? Definitely. A 5km return in 2-3 hours, the Mount Tauhara track, at least on a sunny day, treats you to pretty epic views. You can be up and down the mountain and still be home in time for lunch. Just remember to close your mouth around the flying ants.
Ronna Grace Funtelar is a 40-something desk-fit creative, weekend explorer and cheese enthusiast in Whakatāne, New Zealand. She has a big butt, chunky thighs and shakin’ more jelly than Destiny’s Child. Her creaky knees discovered an appreciation for Type 2 adventures in the bush and mountains in her thirties, and she’s been hiking ever since.
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