We started out on Mokoroa Falls Track which is a gravel walkway which descends gently for half an hour. Towards the end of this track, the Houheria Stream also runs alongside.
At the track’s end there are stairs heading downwards on the left and straight ahead is a balcony over a ravine.
You are also welcomed by the beautiful Mokoroa Falls across and directly below are the much smaller Houheria Falls. We then head down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs on the left is the Mokoroa Stream Track heading down stream and on the right the “track” heads to the bottom of both of the falls.
We head right for a look around the falls. There is also a cool big rock with footholds to climb up for a different perspective of the surrounding falls. After our wee exploration we backtrack towards the base of the stairs and head down the track. It doesn’t take long at all before you make your first stream crossing . Basically the track heads alongside the Mokoroa Stream and zig zags across it all the way.
There are over a dozen crossings and you will get wet feet. At one point we waded in past our shins. Some of these crossings are precariously slippery and you really have to pay attention to your feet. Paying attention to your footing can be tricky as the scenery is stunning and you find yourself looking around at everything.
There are lots of rapids and mini waterfalls all the way down. Also on the path there is the odd low hanging branch so you have to watch you head too. After about 40 minutes or so on this “track” we find a grassy patch right next to the stream which is perfect for a morning tea spot, so we stop and take in the scenery. There are actually quite a few spots that are ideal for stopping and also quite a few pools along the way for a dip (being winter we opted not to).
After about an hour we came to the end of the track & see a swing bridge ahead. There is a gravel track, The Goldie Bush Walkway, heading up straight ahead (a little to the right) leading to Constable Rd and hard right the track heads upwards to the bridge across the stream and to opposite part of Goldie Bush Walkway (heading to the Mokoraoa Falls Tk). As soon as we see the gravel track we are put off (give us mud or stream any day), so we head up & over the bridge.
This track is fairly flatish, only a slight incline in parts and also has a bit of mud. The bush here is very young, there is the occasion wee kauri, but still quite a way off from becoming a forest. This walkway takes about 45mins before we find ourselves back at the Mokoroa Falls track. We found that this loop was a lot shorter than anticipated, so we decide to head left again to backtrack to the Falls for lunch.
We found an idyllic spot right between the falls out of the water . Afterwards we headed back up the stairs & backtracked on the Mokoroa Falls track to the carpark. In total with all our backtracking this took about 3 ½ hours