Pirongia

Pirongia by Neil Campbell

Pirongia rises to the southwest of Hamilton, dominating the Waikato landscape.

An extinct basaltic volcano, and the centre of a Forest Park, it offers a range of walking and tramping options. The lower slopes provide easy access to an impressive podocarp forest – try the Mangakara Nature Walk or the initial part of the Mahaukura Track, both at the end of Grey Road. The crater and summit can be ascended by several tracks, but each is challenging and requires a good level of fitness – it is recommended you overnight at Pahautea Hut. You will be rewarded with commanding views, including Ruapehu and Taranaki on clear days. Near the hut is a goblin forest of 700-year-old pahautea trees, laden with dense blankets of lichen, moss, fern, and other epiphytes.

Image Credits: Neil Campbell and Guy Hamling