Discover Lower Kaimai

Lower Kaimai can be explored through a wide variety of experiences at McLaren Falls Park. The grounds cover 190 hectares of parkland and sit beside Lake McLaren. Water, walking tracks and active recreation shape a visit where daily plans can be tailored to the activities you want to enjoy. When choosing accommodation, first consider whether you mainly want to experience the parkland, stay overnight in the park, or plan a particular activity such as horse riding or a river tour.

Waterfall, lake and tracks

The Waterfall Track offers a short, easy walk to a waterfall. Glowworms can be seen along the track after dark. The waterfall and glowworms give the walk different appeals by day and evening. Part of the Waterfall Track is suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. As track conditions can change, check local conditions before your visit; suitability applies to part of the track.

Another way to experience the park is Tauranga’s first permanent StoryWalk®. This interactive family experience follows a walking track. It starts near the Waterfall Track car park; the track is wide, flat and gravelled. The StoryWalk therefore offers something distinct from the walk to the waterfall: the focus here is on the interactive experience along the track.

Activities at McLaren Falls Park

The park has an 18-basket disc golf course. The horse riding area covers 13 hectares of cross-country terrain. Four paddocks there are available to day visitors or to groups staying overnight at the hostel. The horse riding area is accessed via Lower Maungapapa Road, which branches off McLaren Falls Road. If you plan to go horse riding, check current booking and access conditions in advance.

Marshalls Animal Park can also be accessed through McLaren Falls Park. It is home to domestic and exotic animals. Along with disc golf, the horse riding area and StoryWalk, the park offers a range of ways to spend time there, with different activities catering to different interests.

Staying overnight and planning your visit

McLaren Falls Park has hostel accommodation and camping options for tents, caravans and motorhomes. Camping is available at four sites; campsite configurations may change, so it’s worth checking before you travel. For visitors who want to stay overnight in the park, the listed options are the hostel and camping. The four paddocks by the horse riding area are also available to day visitors or to groups staying overnight at the hostel.

Fishing is possible year-round at Lake McLaren; you’ll need a fishing licence. At Poripori, all-day sunshine keeps the freshwater relatively warm. However, water releases from McLaren Falls Dam can cause the water level at the Poripori swimming hole to rise significantly and quickly. So be sure to follow the current local advice.

Poripori and the Wairoa Gorge

Riverbug’s Bug-Sunday tour travels through the lower gorge of the Wairoa River, with rapids and a surf passage on the Wairoa Wave. The meeting point is near the Poripori Water Holes on Sunday mornings. From there, participants paddle and walk upstream to the starting point. If you plan this tour, check the current dates before setting your travel dates.

McLaren Falls Park brings together short walks and the possibility of an experience after dark, as well as activities centred on horse riding, camping or a river tour. This makes it easy to choose a base around the experiences that matter to your trip.

Discover more destinations: Pukehina, Te Puke, Pyes Pa, Waihi Beach, Tahawai, Katikati, Whakamarama, Athenree.

For the broader travel overview: Western Bay of Plenty District.