Discover Lower Kaimai

If you’re considering Lower Kaimai as a destination, McLaren Falls Park provides a specific focus for your planning. The parkland covers 190 hectares and is located beside Lake McLaren. Activities include walks, an interactive StoryWalk®, disc golf, and an equestrian area. The park also has hostel accommodation and camping facilities. When choosing, consider whether you primarily want to explore on foot, plan a particular activity, or stay in the park.

Walks and nature experiences

The Waterfall Track offers a short, easy walk to a waterfall. Glow-worms can be seen along the track after dark. Part of the Waterfall Track is suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Check local conditions before using it; track conditions can also change.

The StoryWalk® is Tauranga’s first permanent StoryWalk and an interactive family experience along a walking track. It starts near the Waterfall Track car park and follows a wide, level gravel path. The short walk to the waterfall focuses on the natural destination; the StoryWalk combines the walk with its interactive experience. In the wider Western Bay of Plenty District, the Orokawa Bay Walk runs from the northern end of Waihī Beach over coastal headlands to Orokawa Bay; the walking time is about 45 minutes each way, and access is affected by tides and surf conditions.

Sports and other activities

The disc golf course at McLaren Falls Park has 18 baskets. The equestrian area covers 13 hectares of cross-country riding terrain. Four paddocks beside the equestrian area are available to day visitors or groups staying overnight at the hostel. The equestrian area is accessed via Lower Maungapapa Road, which branches off McLaren Falls Road. As access and booking arrangements can change, check them before planning your visit.

Bottom Flat is a picnic area where kayakers and other users of Lake McLaren can launch their boats. Marshalls Animal Park is accessible via McLaren Falls Park and is home to domestic and exotic animals. These are different ways to experience the parkland: a picnic spot with water access for boats, an animal park, or a sporting activity.

Staying in the park

McLaren Falls Park has hostel accommodation and camping facilities for tents, caravans, and motorhomes. Camping is available at four locations; the specific site layout can change. If you’re planning a particular type of accommodation or vehicle, check the current camping-site layout. This lets you include the options described in your trip planning without treating hostels and camping as the same thing.

Discover more destinations: Pukehina, Aongatete, Waihi Beach, Papamoa, Pyes Pa, Athenree, Paengaroa, Te Puna.

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