Mangapohue Natural Bridge
Track category
Short walk
Time:
20 min loop
Distance:
700 m
Description
Mangapohue Natural Bridge is a highlight on the scenic drive from Waitomo Village to Marokopa. The 5 minute track to the left is pushchair-friendly and follows a boardwalk through an impressive limestone gorge that brings you underneath a natural bridge.
Track to Mangapohue Natural Bridge
The 17 m high limestone arch, which spans the Mangapohue Stream, is all that remains of an ancient cave system. From here the track becomes stepped and passes under the bridge giving a superb view of the ceiling studded with stalactite-like formations and an excellent view back down the gorge. The track continues for about 15 min over farmland.
Follow the marker posts around to the right and up the hill where you can see 25 million year old fossilised oysters exposed in the limestone outcrops. Follow the marker posts until you cross a stile back into the reserve heading back to the car park.
Getting there
25km from Waitomo Village on Te Anga Road.
Activities
Specialist activities
Specialist activities: Limestone and karst appreciation
Dolines (enclosed depressions), karren (fluted outcrops), arches tunnels and caves are collectively known as karst. This special landscape is a feature of Waitomo, with the Waitomo Caves world famous for their beauty and abundance of glow worms (Arachnocampa luminosa).
Plan and prepare
There is a small general store in Waitomo where supplies may be bought.
Fill up your vehicle with fuel at Otorohanga, Piopio or Te Kuiti as there are no service stations from Waitomo west.
Before you go into the outdoors, tell someone your plans and leave a date to raise the alarm if you haven't returned. To do this, use the New Zealand Outdoors Intentions process on the AdventureSmart website. It is endorsed by New Zealand's search and rescue agencies and provides three simple options to tell someone you trust the details about your trip.