Harihari travel guide

From Pukekura the bush continues to envelope you and you are blessed with your first occasional views of Mount Cook’s snowy peak. At Lake Lanthe there are opportunities to stop and take in the views, enjoy a picnic on its bush-clad bank or take a leisurely 40-minute eco-cruise on board the small kauri steamboat the Tamati. Cruises cost around $16 and depart on demand from the Ianthe Jetty at the southern end of the lake, for details call T0800-119494. From the car park you can take a short walk to visit a large maitai tree, the South Island’s equivalent to the North Island’s mighty kauri.

Harihari, 20 km south of Lake Lanthe and 80 km from Hokitika, is a small farming settlement nestled on the open alluvial plains of the Wanganui and Poerua rivers. It is famous due to the unexpected visitation by a 21-year-old Australian aviator called Guy Menzies in January 1931. Young Guy had set off unannounced and alone from Sydney in his Avro-Avian plane called the Southern Cross armed with little except a lot of courage and a good sense of direction. Just under 12 hours and an awful lot of sea later he crash-landed in a swamp near the town. The interesting thing is that bold Guy had not officially told anybody of his attempt to cross the ocean to New Zealand and he completed it in 2½ hours less than the much publicized success of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, in a three-engine plane, with crew, three years earlier.

If you fancy some thorough exploration of the coastline, the Harihari Coastal Walkway (three hours) utilizes part of the old Wanganui River pack track and is a fine walk. It traverses kahikatea and rimu forest and essentially links the two river mouths. The car park and trailhead is accessed via La Fontaine Road at the southern end of Harihari (19 km). One of the many highlights of the walk is the lookout at the top of Mount Doughboy (or to use its more attractive name – Mount Oneone). Although not especially high it does afford a great view up and down the coast. The DoC leaflet Harihari Coastal Walk provides detailed information.