Scenery
Scenery in the Hurunui Gateway area
The Hurunui Gateway area extends from the Hurunui River in the north to the Weka Pass in the South and from Lake Sumner in the West to Scargill in the East.
It includes the villages of Waikari and Hawarden as well as many small settlements. Both villages are located on the flat, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps in the North and the limestone hills of the Weka Pass area. Climbing one of the higher hills can give a superb view all the way to the ocean.
If you enter Waikari over SH7 through the Weka Pass you must stop and walk back to the viewing platform. You receive an amazing view over the area, especially as it is nearly always nice weather with very little rain. The limestone hills behind are host to Maori Rock drawings, which can be reached from there along the village walkway.
The scenery varies and is unbelievably beautiful.
The area boasts 5 lakes with Lake Sumner the most known. All lakes provide superb fishing in a stunning scenery. So does the Hurunui River. The road is small and windy, not suitable for towing vehicles.
The Hurunui area offers lifestyle, adventure, and a chance to experience the rich history and culture of rural New Zealand. Its small towns offer a window into New Zealand’s rural heartland.
Take one of the unsealed back roads and enjoy your ride through rugged unspoiled countryside to Hawarden, a small settlement with a railway history and great views on both the limestone hills and the Southern Alps.
Although the area is still very much sheep country, some properties have converted to dairy or deer.