Pupu Hydro Walkway
Pupu Hydro Walkway
4.6
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Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.6
184 reviews
Excellent
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Very good
42
Average
14
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0
travelmadj9
New Zealand238 contributions
Mar 2023
This is a track of two halves. I walked this clockwise and the first part was a steady climb up a wide shingled track. Easy walking as you climb up through the native bush with wekas darting out onto the track at times and a distant waterfall to spy. There's a short walk out to a viewpoint which gives lovely views over the bay.
At the top there's a weir and small but pretty waterfalls in the stream that were nice to photograh. The top section runs alongside the water-race, with some narrow sections suspended above the race which is unusual. Lots of picnic spots on the way, and you can look down along the penstocks to the powerhouse.
Then, the track down is a deeply rutted goat track with water running down it in places. You would want to be pretty steady on your feet to do this. It really needs a bit of maintenance.
The powerhouse with its observation window is worth a stop, and the information boards at the entrance make for interesting reading on how an area set up for extracting gold became the first power station in the area. The ceremony for turning on the first electric lights in Tataka must have been quite something for the locals at the time!
At the top there's a weir and small but pretty waterfalls in the stream that were nice to photograh. The top section runs alongside the water-race, with some narrow sections suspended above the race which is unusual. Lots of picnic spots on the way, and you can look down along the penstocks to the powerhouse.
Then, the track down is a deeply rutted goat track with water running down it in places. You would want to be pretty steady on your feet to do this. It really needs a bit of maintenance.
The powerhouse with its observation window is worth a stop, and the information boards at the entrance make for interesting reading on how an area set up for extracting gold became the first power station in the area. The ceremony for turning on the first electric lights in Tataka must have been quite something for the locals at the time!
Written 3 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lara F
Upper Hutt, New Zealand169 contributions
Apr 2021
This is a nice walk with some interesting stops along the way. If you do the entire circuit it will take anywhere from an hour and a half up to two hours depending on your fitness level and on how long you stop off at some of the points along the way. There are several picnic tables enroute so you might like to bring a packed lunch and stop somewhere to eat it. There are no rubbish bins so you will need to take your rubbish with you.
Driving out to the start point from where the road divides (Pupu Springs over the one way bridge on the left and veer slightly right to the Pupu Hydro walkway) the road is gravel for most of the way, although it is a good road, just take it a bit slower than on a normal sealed road.
The start point is sign posted with an information board and there is a DoC toilet that’s a bit stinky (good old long drop) so make sure you have some hand sanitiser.
A couple of minutes in and you have a choice - left or right... the reviews I’d read on Trip Advisor recommended walking anticlockwise so that’s what we did. So off we headed in the direction of the Water-Race and the Weir.
The track sort of zig zagged up and although it was uphill we took our time and neither of us got out of breath. This portion was estimated to take 30 minutes and it took us about 20 minutes.
The next portion is flat and is a combination of walking along a track and a narrow boardwalk which runs alongside the water race. If you have smaller children you will need to keep a close eye on them. It is mostly single file through this section. From the top of the zig zag it took us about 25 minutes to walk to the weir, again we were walking at a sedate pace. This section is the most enjoyable part of the walk.
Once at the weir you can either continue on or turn around and head back the way you came. We continued on, this section you are walking on a gravel type road (this road was built to provide engineers with access to the weir etc when they come to do maintenance) which has a bit of an uphill for about 10 minutes and then you start walking downhill which is a gradual easy walk down to the powerhouse. This section took us about 35 minutes. We were glad we’d done the walk this way round as the long walk up would have been a bit monotonous.
At the bottom we spent some time looking at the information on display in the viewing room of the powerhouse and then it’s just a couple of minutes back to the start point.
Note: It would be a good idea to take some insect repellent or spray yourself before you start the walk. We didn’t notice any sandflies on the actual walk however back at the start point we stood chatting to some people and the sandflies came out for lunch - on us!
Driving out to the start point from where the road divides (Pupu Springs over the one way bridge on the left and veer slightly right to the Pupu Hydro walkway) the road is gravel for most of the way, although it is a good road, just take it a bit slower than on a normal sealed road.
The start point is sign posted with an information board and there is a DoC toilet that’s a bit stinky (good old long drop) so make sure you have some hand sanitiser.
A couple of minutes in and you have a choice - left or right... the reviews I’d read on Trip Advisor recommended walking anticlockwise so that’s what we did. So off we headed in the direction of the Water-Race and the Weir.
The track sort of zig zagged up and although it was uphill we took our time and neither of us got out of breath. This portion was estimated to take 30 minutes and it took us about 20 minutes.
The next portion is flat and is a combination of walking along a track and a narrow boardwalk which runs alongside the water race. If you have smaller children you will need to keep a close eye on them. It is mostly single file through this section. From the top of the zig zag it took us about 25 minutes to walk to the weir, again we were walking at a sedate pace. This section is the most enjoyable part of the walk.
Once at the weir you can either continue on or turn around and head back the way you came. We continued on, this section you are walking on a gravel type road (this road was built to provide engineers with access to the weir etc when they come to do maintenance) which has a bit of an uphill for about 10 minutes and then you start walking downhill which is a gradual easy walk down to the powerhouse. This section took us about 35 minutes. We were glad we’d done the walk this way round as the long walk up would have been a bit monotonous.
At the bottom we spent some time looking at the information on display in the viewing room of the powerhouse and then it’s just a couple of minutes back to the start point.
Note: It would be a good idea to take some insect repellent or spray yourself before you start the walk. We didn’t notice any sandflies on the actual walk however back at the start point we stood chatting to some people and the sandflies came out for lunch - on us!
Written 9 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kiwitraveler92
Nelson-Tasman Region, New Zealand217 contributions
May 2021 • Friends
Absolutely love this walk! I’ve done it 4 times now and most recently did it in the rain. This walk is do-able in rain or shine and would be a good walk for beginners. As it is a loop track, I would recommend going right across the bridge first as this is the uphill section of the track and it is easier to go up than down due to how rutted the track has become. Hiking boots would be a good idea too as there are some areas you need to walk through running water which can easily soak through runners (has happened to me twice now). Walking along the water race is what makes this such a cool walk, as do the amazing views.
Written 10 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bryan B
Auckland Central, New Zealand300 contributions
Jan 2020
This is an amazing and surprising walk. From the carpark head right up the zigzag track to the top when you will meet the water race. Water goes down a steep pipe to the power house from up here. You follow the race around the relatively flat contour to the intake weir. It is all very well marked and handrails prevent you from falling. Have a break at the weir and look at the intake then walk down the four wheel drive road to the powerhouse. This has a free viewing room so you can see how the power is made. Amazing considering the whole system was restored by the local community. Allow 2-3 hours so you can rest and explore and watch the birds along the way.
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie
Tauranga, New Zealand12 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
This walk was so very interesting and scenic. We walked anti clockwise up the zig zag. The track is very rutted and could be differcult for some. On reaching the water race the walk was very pleasant and pretty. An easy stroll but being mindful of falling into the race which was moving swiftly in places. The 4x4 track was up hill to start with so we thought the way we came was best. We took at least 2 or more hrs to complete. Well worth the ups and downs of the track.
Written 19 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wellyburgh
Wellington, New Zealand96 contributions
Jan 2021
While the history and engineering of the location is certainly interesting, the walk to the summit to see the watercourse is much like trekking up any hill in NZ. I would recommend turning right and walking the course anticlockwise, the dirt road to the left is rather long and dull and best walked down as its a bit of a hike walking up it. Either way it will take about 2 hours.
Some people below seem to have confused this, the Hydro Walkway with Pupu Springs itself down the road. The Hydro walkway is a different attraction to Pupu Springs and a much more challenging walk!
Some people below seem to have confused this, the Hydro Walkway with Pupu Springs itself down the road. The Hydro walkway is a different attraction to Pupu Springs and a much more challenging walk!
Written 26 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FyingKiwi
Christchurch, New Zealand1,129 contributions
Oct 2020
Whichever direction you begin with (and I would recommend going right first), half the track (right side) is interesting while the other half is monotonous. Either way you have quite a steep climb up to the water race, and then a quite scary trip along the top on a very narrow board walk.
However, the history, scenery, and technical excellence makes it a trek well worth doing.
However, the history, scenery, and technical excellence makes it a trek well worth doing.
Written 9 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cardinal_Wolsey89
Christchurch, New Zealand86 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Beautiful bush walk for the whole family. Two hour return, hill walk up the valley. Make sure you take water and sunblock as one half of the walk is directly in the sun, depending on the time of year. I would recommend walking the water race side there and back if you prefer the greenery of the NZ bush.
Written 26 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tessa W
Takaka, New Zealand5 contributions
Aug 2019
The Pupu Hydro Walkway needs a small level of fitness, and the effort is well rewarded. You climb through beautiful native bush, then walk along the mountain side next to the sparkling water race tucked under a bank, dripping with ferns and mosses. There are views of the hydro station below and the gorgeous bay beyond. You walk down a well made track through more forest, and can visit the hydro power station at the bottom. Or you can do it the other way around!
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shellonsea
UK48 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Walking up the water course was stunning. Lovely native forest and so lovely having clear fresh water coursing past. We have a 6 year old and he had a blast, but we did keep him between us and watch him carefully as the boardwalk is narrow and drops into either water or steep bank. Regardless would definitely recommend - it was so fun. If I did it again I’d go down and up the weir and not do Jim’s track. You can do a little side tour to the pump station at the bottom which is worth the 5 mins - there’s a room you can visit inside the station which is interesting.
Written 30 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the walkway suitable for wheelchairs? Not afraid of a bit of incline, but is it wide enough?
Written 27 June 2020
Hi there,
This walk is not suitable for wheelchairs, narrow, steep in sections and uneven terrain. Check out Te Waikoropupū Springs though which is wheel chair accessible and is the biggest fresh water spring in New Zealand. We enjoyed it and it is not too far from pupu hydro.
Cheers
Michael
Written 28 June 2020
Are you talking about the Pupu hydro walk or Pupu Springs walk? The hydro walk does not have the facilities you refer to. I think you have confused the 2.
Yeah, tourists 'free camping' in New Zealand are a blight on the landscape.
Written 16 May 2017
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