Waipukurau is on State Highway 2: the route between Wellington (or Palmerston North) and Hastings/Napier. Rural Takapau is a 20-minute drive from Waipukurau.

From Napier

Allow a one-hour drive. Head south on State Highway 2. Once you cross the Tukituki River into Waipukurau, turn right onto Peel Street, then turn left onto Bogle Brothers Esplanade. Pull over at the Waipukurau railway station, on your right-hand side. Here you will see a coffee stall and two large, three dimensional maps.

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From Wellington

Allow a four-hour drive. Follow State Highway 2 over the Remutuka Range. You’ll pass through Featherston, Greytown and Masterton. Continue driving north, through Dannevirke and Norsewood. If you’d like to visit Stop 7 of the driving tour (Horehore Pā) on your way, take the turn-off to Takapau 5-10 minutes after Norsewood. Continue following State Highway 2 until you reach Waipukurau, then turn left onto Bogle Brothers Esplanade. Pull over at the Waipukurau railway station, on your left-hand side. Here you will see a coffee stall and two large, three dimensional maps.

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Take a digital or in-person tour through the unique landscape and history of Tamatea Central Hawke’s Bay.

Book a personal tour

COMING SOON: Explore the Pukekaihau Pā site with descendants of the people who lived here. Your guides will show you fascinating features of the site and share rare insights into this place and the lives of their ancestors.

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Self-guided tour

Use the Ngā Ara Tipuna mobile phone tour, complete with digital maps, to locate places of cultural importance around Waipukurau and Takapau. Watch video stories at each location by mana whenua: the tribes with authority over this land.

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