HOW TO GET TO WAIKARETU
FROM AUCKLAND:
Head down the Southern motorway heading to Hamilton. Go over the Bombay Hills and leave Auckland behind. Smile. You will soon approach Mercer. Take the off ramp and go back over SH1 on the overbridge, then veer left and take the bridge over the Waikato River. You are now on Mercer Ferry Road.
Follow the signs from there to the ‘Golf Course’ about 10 km’s after the Mercer turn-off. This road takes you up the hill, there is an intersection where you will turn right, and then there is a bigger intersection where you will take the left, just look for the Gold Course signs. This will take you to the intersection where if you go right you will go to Tuakau or Pukekohe, you want to turn left to Pukekawa.
Once you reach the Onewhero Golf Course you have approx 30 – 40 minutes left.
Stay on this road, State Highway 22, and ignore the temptation to think you are hopelessly lost in the middle of nowhere. Go past the Rangariri turn off, (don’t turn left here, follow the road right) go past the Mobil Petrol Station (Glen Murray Motors). There are now about 15 minutes to go.
Go past the Glen Murray Hall on your right, past the Glen Murray school on your left.
You are now up pretty high, so enjoy the view until you come to the Telecom Tower and signpost turn off to Waikaretu.
Take the turn off and reset your Odometer. You have 14.01 km’s to go. This is probably your last chance to use your Vodofone mobile phone. Your Telecom phone may come into range about halfway along the road as you reach the trig station, but don’t count on it.
I am number 1401, on the left, just past Richardson Road. White letterbox with a red X on it.
FROM HAMILTION:
Head north to Huntly and when you get to theMacDonalds/Shell Station turn left at the lights and go over the Tainui Bridge. Take a right at the roundabout. You’ll come up to the Power Station, which you keep on your right and this puts you on the Huntly Road.
You are 50 minutes from my place at this point.
Take it very easy as this is a nice country drive but it’s not open road so drop the speedo back to around 70 k’s and just enjoy it.
You’ll go over the big hill. Stop at the top and take in the view. You’ll get to the end of Huntly Road where it joins State Highway 22. Don’t turn left to Waingaro, go right to Naike, over the one lane bridge and up over the two hills. Past Naike School, don’t turn left after the school, keep on the main road. You’ll see a road called Tikotiko road on the right soon, ignore it but you’ll know at this point you are about 3 k’s from the turnoff.
The turnoff is at the top of the hill and there is a big Telecom tower there and a ginormus sign saying WAIKARETU 17KM. Turn left here.
At this turnoff reset you tripmeter to zero and enjoy the loveliest drive down into Waikaretu Valley and 14.1 kilometres from the turn off, just past Richardson Road, on the left you will see a white letterbox with a red X on it.
You’re there.
(09) 2 333 010