The Cathedral Cove Walkway from Hahei is rightly recognised as a top walk. But many visitors don’t realise there is another fabulous walk to Te Pare and Hereharetaura Point at the other end of Hahei Beach.
This short walkway in Te Pare Historic Reserve starts from the southern end of Pa Road and ends at Hereheretaura Point. The first part of the walk goes through old big pōhutukawa trees. From there, it runs above the southeast end of the beach to a spectacular cliff-edge view to the east. The track then climbs a set of steps to the grassy point and historic Hereheretaura pā site.
The point is particularly dramatic. In addition to evidence of the pā, it offers fantastic cliff-top views from Hahei to Mahurangi Island and several smaller islands. From the top of the point, there is also a short informal walk to the southeast along a narrow spine to the very tip of the point, marked by an interesting dead tree. From there, look back along the spectacular cliff-lined coast to the south.
A side trip to Te Pare is also an option, although the track may be poorly defined. This is a second historic pā location at the top of the cliffs to the southeast of the main track.
The track is also accessible from a flight of steps at the southeast end of Hahei Beach.
