Kahurangi National Park, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand
The Karamea Gorge
Karamea River Gorge (Photo by Paul Murray)Closer to town is the Karamea Gorge, a trout fishing paradise attracting anglers from all over the world. The Karamea Gorge Track is a challenging walk that requires rock-hopping along the river bed, but is usually rewarding for those looking to catch BIG trout!
A small bush cabin known as Grey Hut is about six hours in, providing shelter for intrepid trampers, anglers and river rafters. A couple of hours walk along this track to Big Rock is a great day activity. Big Rock is aptly named, as it is a rock and it is very big. It tumbled out of the forested hills long ago and plunged into the river where the action of the water has carved and sculpted it into smooth curves and a perfect swimming hole. A great place for a family picnic, a fishing expedition, or a romantic outing with a close friend.
Big Rimu Tree
One of the lower Gorge’s features, the aptly named Big Rimu Tree, is a tree so large that when the region was logged about 60 years ago, the technology available at the time was insufficient to handle a tree of its size. The mammoth tree must be seen to be appreciated and to stand beside its massive trunk is a quite humbling experience.
