Get Real Rangitīkei
Somewhere between Wellington and Taupō
There's a place that doesn’t pretend and communities that welcomes strangers.
Rangitīkei is white papa cliffs carved by the river, world-class white-water rafting, high-country roads with views that go on forever, five golf courses, farmstays on land families have worked for generations, and small towns with more character than places three times their size.
It's coffee in proper mugs and pies judged by their pastry. It's swimming holes, swing bridges, trout rivers, gumboots, working farms and night skies far from the glow of the cities.
This is our Aotearoa New Zealand without the filter. Wide-open spaces, genuine people, simple pleasures and experiences that don't need to try too hard to impress. So don't just drive through, turn off SH1, stay a while.
Take another look at Rangitīkei
Most people travelling between Wellington and Taupō will pass through Rangitīkei. The trick is knowing where and when to stop.
At the heart of it is the Rangitīkei River, winding its way from the Kaimanawa Ranges through towering white papa cliffs, deep river valleys and rolling farmland. Take it on by raft/kayak or jet boat, cast a fly for brown trout, or simply find a quiet spot beside the water.
Head into the high country and discover big skies, tussock-covered hills and the remote landscapes of Mōkai Pātea. Take the Gentle Annie east from Taihape, trek through a working farm, or stop somewhere simply because the view made you curious.
Rangitīkei is proudly genuine, welcoming and completely itself. So next time you're travelling through, don't just watch Rangitīkei disappear through the windscreen. Stop. Take another look.
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