ACTIVITIES

Take a stroll to the top of the Hill behind the lodge (check with Elizabeth) to see wonderful views of Mt Taranaki and the West Coast beach.

The Coastal hamlet of Awakino is peaceful and picturesque; as soon as you arrive in this remote location, with just fifteen houses and Awakino Hotel - you feel worlds apart and ready to slow down and relax.

The lodge itself is open plan and spacious, with large leather couches and puzzles, games, DVDs, and a good supply of reading material. Sometimes the best way to relax is to do nothing at all, take in the view, or read a good book.

On a clear day, why not take a stroll on the wide-open black sand beaches, picturesque with Mt Taranaki in the background and a picnic basket to enjoy lunch in your new secret spot?

World-famous in New Zealand for its whitebait fishing, or try your hand at fishing for kahawai at either the Mokau or Awakino river mouths and snapper and gurnard from the beach (we can point you to our favourite fishing locations). There's also great kite or Kontiki fishing, with large snapper landed for those who know where to go.

Mokau is a lovely coastal town a short drive from New Plymouth in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. Mokau offers good fishing, including whitebait and kahawai, and great surfing.

Mokau's history museum showcases New Zealand's history, bringing natural, cultural, social, military and historical events to life. Browse interactive exhibits, local treasures, portraits, artifacts, gems, documents, and other historic memorabilia. Historic sites and historic houses are also forms of history museums.

For spectacular views of the three 25-metre towering rock formations on the beach known as the Three Sisters, turn down Pilot Road (on the seaward side of State Highway 3) north of the Tongaporutu bridge (15 minutes drive from Mokau) which is 5 minutes south of the lodge.

If you want to get up close and personal with the Three Sisters, turn off South Highway 3 down Clifton Road south of the Tongaporutu Bridge and park in the riverside reserve. At low tide, you can walk alongside the river and round the point where you will find the Three Sisters and Elephant Rock. In nearby caves, you can also view a rock drawing of a curious six-toed foot.

Take a 40-minute drive to the Waikawau beach, the only publicly accessible part of the coastline between Marokopa and Awakino, and see the most amazing native bush and come out at the Waikawau tunnel.

This drive does far surpass the Forgotten Highway. Access is via a narrow tunnel through the sandstone cliffs, which was made in 1911 by three men armed only with picks and shovels. It was constructed so cattle could be driven to and from Nukuhakare Station, on the hills above the tunnel. The farm is hilly and it was easier to drive the cattle along the beach than across the rough terrain. These days the tunnel is used by people rather than cows.

Besides the beautiful scenery, just an hour's drive north is the renowned Waitomo Caves. Be amazed by the thousands of magical glowworms above, as you glide silently by boat in the world-famous Glowworm Caves. Guided since the late 1880s, this is the original, iconic New Zealand attraction.