Beehive Creek Walkway

Duration: 3 – 4 Hours
Standard: Variable: Easy to Moderately fit.
Start: Two entrances on Pohangina Road
Closest Town: Pohangina.
Public Transport: None.
Huts: None
Campsites: Closest campsites, Totara Reserve Camping Grounds or Piripiri Camp ground.
When To Walk:  Some seasonal restrictions.
Information: Not very well sign posted, with a lot of creek crossings through the water.
Equipment: Good walking shoes, lunch, water, and dress for the weather.
Other Tramps in the area: Kahikatea Walk, Fern Walk.
Booking: May pay to check with the Council, depending on the time of the year.
Pets: No dogs allowed.
Season Restrictions: This walk is closed from the 1st August to 30th November for the lambing and calfing season.
Directions: Beehive Creek is located on Pohangina Road, a 33 km drive north of Palmerston North. Heading up to Ashhurst, turn onto Pohangina Road and drive through Pohangina. The walkway begins approximately 3 km further on and is signposted.

A short drive up from Ashhurst, just past a little village called Pohangina, is where you will find Beehive Creek Walkway. There are two entrances and you can start at either one. Totara reserve Council Camping ground is a short drive down from the track at the lower entrance, with the other entrance/exit approx. 3km further up the road by the car park. It would be helpful to have a car at each end, or you’ll be finding yourself walking about 45 mins-1 hour, after completing the walk, back to your car, on a gravel road.

The track went high into the hills. Rolling green grass with cows and sheep along the path to the top. The views up here are stunning and you can see the windmill farm in the distance. After climbing up the hill through farmland, you enter a valley, where the track follows along Beehive Creek. You may spot a deer or two and you may get wet feet, as you will have to walk through the creek numerous times. It is not well sign posted in some places, as the signs look like they’ve been washed away in floods, but it is a lovely walk and as long as you follow the creek, you won’t get lost.  A peaceful and pretty place that I would happily return to walk again.

Beehive Creek Walkway

Beehive Creek, flow’s down the valley,

gentle and meek.

The only sounds, the wind in the tree’s, birds, sandfly’s and bee’s.

Timeless and serene, like a land first seen

Bird song surround, then a crash, as a deer disappears with a bound.

Then back to silence with the sun glittering on Beehive Creek.

Poem By Olly 30th Of March 2018

Kahikatea Walk

Duration: 30 Minutes
Distance:
Standard: Easy walk. Suitable for children.
Start: Pohangina East Rd.
Closest Town: Pohangina.
Public Transport: None.
Huts: None
Campsites: Closest campsites, Totara Reserve Camping Grounds or Piripiri Camp ground.
When To Walk: All year.
Information: Short easy loop walk with beautiful Kahikatea trees.
Equipment: Good walking shoes
Other Tramps in the area:Beehive Creek Walkway, Fern Walk.
Booking: No bookings
Dogs: No dogs are allowed.

A short drive up from Ashhurst, is a sleepy little village named Pohangina. There are no shops at Pohangina, so if you’re needing any food or supplies, you’ll need to stop at Ashhurst. Kahikatea Walk can be found driving through Pohangina for approx. 20 minutes. You will find the track entrance is around 1 km past Arbon’s Road on the left hand side.  It would be wise to bring a map, as we soon discovered it was easy to get lost in this area. There are some views of the valley, but most of it is hidden behind the bush and tree’s. This track is maintained by DOC (Department Of Conservation).  Visit the DOC website Kahikatea Walk for DOC information.

Bring your own drinking water as there is no fresh water available.

The track is well maintained and there is a toilet, but no other facilities.  The Kahikatea Trees are enormous, leaving one in awe, at how small we are compared.   They tower up into the sky with their branches stretching out to the world. 

We loved this little hike. We had a couple of fantails follow us along the trail and we sat in the trunk of a huge Kahikatea tree for a quick rest. It’s grandness, and shear size was breath taking, which inspired us to write a poem about this beautiful place.

Kahikatea Trees

With Tree’s so grand
They own this land
Tui’s sing, fantails swing
Fungi, ferns, moss and punga’s
The song of the river, as it rushes
Makes me wonder just why
Folk don’t come here, it’s not hard to try
A view of the valley pokes through the trees
Rolling country, with the Pohongina river, as far as you can see
Kahikatea’s stretch to the stars, musky bush smells, you can’t put in jars
It’s peaceful, serene, a beautiful scene
A place to relax and share a dream.

By Olly and Ria, March 29th 2018

Photographs by Maria Ann ©2018 All Rights Reserved