Nikau Caves Waikaretu

**Port Waikato to Nikau Caves
** by Celia Walker

The drive from Port Waikato to the Nikau Caves has a whole limestone landscape that seems remarkably off the radar in terms of tourism potential. This quite spectacular (largely unsealed) road weaves its way along ridges and past places strewn with oversized hunks of bare rock. The similar forms of the Vanished World Highway in the South Island have all manner of signage, walkways and information – but this area, by contrast, seems almost secret. Although it is all farmed, it has an unearthly character, it is quite fitting that scenes from Weathertop in Lord of the Rings were filmed here. The only shame is that there are few places to stop. Back on a sealed surface as the road heads towards civilisation, the privately operated Nikau Caves provide a chance to literally get in amongst it to fully round off the limestone adventures. They run ninety-minute tours through an underground cave network, with the promise of stalactites, stalagmites, and glow-worms (and a hands and knees crawl through one short section).

This might seem like enough limestone goodness, but there really is one last thing – the Waikaretu Bush Walk just around the corner from Nikau Caves has the best waterfall coming down over a big limestone abutment, accessed on a one-hour loop walk through regenerating bush. This is a privately owned, QEII covenanted block, and is pleasingly simple – without fancy boardwalks, with occasional trees across the path, and just enough track markers to stop you getting lost but still allowing the odd bit of wayward adventuring.

Image Credits: Celia Walker