Mount Te Aroha Summit & Broadcast Tower — Attraction in Waikato

Steep but great hike. We went at a reasonable pace and got up and down in around 3hrs each way, including lunch. It would vary a lot though, depending on the fitness of your group. Minimal mud, and only a little climbing. The weather is very changeable, with the summit often being covered in cloud, with only patches of views. It's still really amazing either way though. For those not wanting to go all the way to the top there's a lookout about 45min from the beginning with nice views of Te Aroha. Not much in the way of animal life, but it's classic North Island forest. The domain at the start/end offers a great place to relax before/afterwards as well. There are adjoining tracks that lead further into the Kaimais for those who want to explore further. Not much in the way of historic stuff though; for that you'll want to go to Waiorongomai valley,...

This is a great up hill if your looking for fitness as well as views. It is a little hard to find the start of the walk which is behind the museum, parking is below this with a short walk up to the domain and museum. The track itself is well defined once you are on it though . It is a nice walk up to the first platform, Whakapipi lookout. From there it gets a little more intense with some step rocky patches towards the top. If you are fit and used of walking you can reach the summit in about 1 hour and a half at a good pace. It can take similar to return down as the Rock's and surface's can get slippery. Choose a day where you can see the top of the mountain from the bottom, the morning mist and clouds can take a while to burn off, the views need to the reward at the top !! About 10am is a...

This was a great great hike, action packed and not too long, enough for a full days activity. The walk to whakapipi lookout is a good 45min start and you are blessed with a great view of waikato and Te Aroha town. Next 1.5 hours and steep but interesting with roots and mud. We went in the start of winter so was full of rain water. The view from the summit is truly rewarding as you are on top of the Kaimais and can see very far in all directions. The coast and the ranges look spectacular. Bear in mind the summit top is very cold and wind is strong and...