Waitomo, New Zealand, has no lack of activities for kids. Of course, there are some excellent paid activities, such as the Spellbound Glowworm Caves tour that we absolutely loved, but there are also many fantastic hikes that are not only free, but of reasonable lengths to hike with children! We had already done the Ruakuri Hike, so this time we decided to check out the trails to the Mangapohue Natural Bridge and Marokopa Falls(about 25 km wet of Waitomo Caves).
Mangapohue Natural Bridge walk features a 17 meter high limestone arch (the remains of an ancient cave system), with old fossils exposed in the limestone walls.
The walk is easy, and stroller or wheelchair friendly for a good portion.
The boardwalk trail takes you through a scenic limestone gorge, over several bridges, and then to the entrance of a stunning archway that towers high above your heads.
You can climb up a fair amount of stairs to a viewing platform. I mean, seriously, folks….is this not STUNNING?!!
On the viewing platform, looking down (archway above our head…waaaaay up there, still)!
And every moment is made happier with a baby smile like this one!
After ascending the stairs, you can then choose to turn around and retrace your steps the way you came, or take a trail out the arch’s backside, and walk through about 15 minutes of farmland.
Of course, we opted to see something new. It wasn’t nearly as stunning as the trail in, but it’s still somewhat jaw-dropping in its own understated way!
I’m telling you…DON’T MISS THIS EASY WALK IF YOU ARE VISITING WAITOMO!!!! You won’t regret it!!!
Have you been? Tell me what you thought!
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://livingoutsideofthebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/P5075177.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]My name is Alisa, and I love traveling the world with my adventurous husband and rambunctious 5 small children. I am passionate about gorgeous scenery, meeting new people, and I’m a certified salad nut. Most of all, I love making memories with my family, and I enjoy sharing our travels with others! [/author_info] [/author]
Love the pictures! So adorable. I’ve never been to New Zealand but it’s a place I’ve always wanted to go. My Uncle went there quite a bit before he passed away. He loved talking about how breathtakingly gorgeous it was there. Definitely on my bucket list!
It is definitely breathtaking AND gorgeous! 🙂 You should go!