Kahurangi Gateway

Tapawera is a small town in New Zealand that serves as a gateway to the Kahurangi National Park, the second-largest national park in the country.

The park is a vast area of marbled mountains, with fluted rock forms, arches, shafts, and sinkholes, and is a haven for adventurers and nature lovers alike. Tapawera is a horticultural center, with hops, kiwifruit, and apples among its staples. The town had a population of 330 people at the 2018 New Zealand census.

Tapawera sits astride Tasman’s Great Taste Trail, which starts in Nelson and takes cyclists to Richmond, Brightwater, Wakefield, and through the 1.4km-long Spooners Tunnel to Kohatu. The trail from Kohatu to Tapawera is off-road except for one section. The Kahurangi Gateway project in Tapawera is a carved landmark that symbolizes the town's connection to the Kahurangi National Park and is a must-see for visitors to the area. The gateway is a symbol of the town's connection to the Kahurangi National Park and is a must-see for visitors to the area.

The main attraction in this corner of the park is the Wangapeka Track, which crosses to the West Coast south of Karamea. Access to the track is via the Tadmor-Bushend Road and on to the Wangapeka valley. At the junction of the Wangapeka and Dart rivers, there is a concrete ford over the Dart River that requires care. Tapawera is a gateway to the park, and there are several shorter tracks accessible from the town.