HAMILTON
Pre-match jaunts – Waterworks Track
North of Hamilton by 10km is the town of Ngaruawahia where an easy walk leaves from Brownlee Avenue off Hakarimata Road and passes through attractive native bush alongside the Mangarata Stream to an old dam built in 1922. The track to the dam is an easy gradient with an all-weather metalled surface.
This leaves from Parker Road, off Hakarimata Road near the Waterworks Track. The track levels out to traverse a largely open face with views to the north. Walk on past an old pa (Maori fortification) site through regenerating native bush to a large kauri tree and a viewpoint over a bush-clad valley.
Dropkick the hangover – Mangakara Nature Walk
In Pirongia Forest Park, this walk takes about one hour to complete. It is accessible from the end of Grey Road to people of most ages and fitness levels but is not negotiable by wheelchairs. Numbered posts have been installed along the walk. Pirongia Mountain is a distinctive volcanic Waikato landmark.