Walkways

You are here > Home > Visiting New Plymouth > Attractions > Walkways > Te Henui Walkway

Te Henui Walkway

The Te Henui is one of the most beautiful walkways in New Plymouth and yet, incredibly, it originates from a sewage pipe route! Download an A4 printable version of the Te Henui Walkway map.

• Te Henui Walkway map (One page 461KB PDF)

Grade: Medium
Distance: 5.9km (two hours circular).

There are many possible variations to the route which follows Te Henui Stream from East End Reserve to Cumberland Street. The route shown here is circular with a number of different access points. You will past historic places while walking through bush and forest reserves and across open pastures - all with the city only a stone's throw away!

Route

The walkway starts where Te Henui Stream meets the sea at East End Reserve (this is easily accessed from Buller Street or Nobs Line).

Follow the concrete path away from the sea until you cross a small bridge over the stream. Then follow the left path up the stream and under Devon Street East with the stream on your left.

At Courtenay Street you can take a short detour to the historic Te Henui Vicarage (C1). Built in 1844 the vicarage is now home to local potters and open to the public on weekends from 1pm-4pm.

Back on the walkway, follow the track under Northgate (SH3) to Waiwaka Reserve (C2). Walk through the reserve past extensive plantings of camellias, magnolias and deciduous trees. It's hard to believe that before 1961 this area was just an overgrown rubbish tip!

Cross the footbridge over the stream and turn immediately right (with the stream now on your right). Back to your left is Pukewarangi Pa (C4), a once fortified Maori village where earth works and trenches are still clearly visible.

Follow the walkway as it meanders through bush and open grassy spaces, eventually leading up and down some wooden steps (the path to the left leads to Wrangtage Street).

Continue following the river and you will pass Pukatea Dell, a native planting hidden away on your left. You will soon pass a stile on the left which leads to Spencer Place.

From now on you will be walking between residential housing on your left and the stream on your right.  This area is dedicated to local horticulturalist Keith Adams in recognition of the trees he planted in the area.

The path climbs up and down over a stabilised landslide site, along quiet stretches of bush and through open spaces. to your right over the river are the majestic native trees of the Aotea Reserve (C5). The long path eventually arrives at a ribbon of city housing on your left including access to Kendal Place.

Emerge onto Cumberland Street and cross the bridge to return down the other side of the stream. You now have the stream on your right and are facing towards the sea. This section of the track slopes up to leave the stream below as you head towards Aotea Reserve (C5) and pass through a wooden gateway onto Dean Walk. The path continues up and down along the edge of the reserve parallel with the river.

Cross another small footbridge and on your left are steps to Oriental Street. Cross another footbridge over Shirley's Pool and you then eventually come to another footbridge and a steep climb. At the T intersection at the top of the slope turn right (turn left to go through the reserve to Turi Street).

Climb some more steps and up the long, steep slope to the end of Timandra Street. Cross the road and head straight along a mown strip of grass with Timandra Lodge Motel on your right. Turn right along the road in front of the motel and turn right again into Avery Reserve (C6). This is just before Frank Wilson Terrace.

Continue through Parihamore Pa, home to a famous Maori legend. In the 18th century, chief of the pa, Kahu-taia had a beautiful daughter named Uruki-naki. One of her many admirers was the chief Potaka who wanted to marry her. When Uruki-naki rejected Potaka because he was too old, he became angry and marched his men to Parihamore Pa, camping in the hollow between Parihamore and Puketarata (near Te Henui cemetery). Potaka and his men laid a siege forcing Uruki-naki to agree to marry him to save her village from starvation. Uruki-naki was anointed with sweet-scented oil made from berries of the pa's titoki tree and was went down to Potaka to be his wife.

As you enter Te Henui Cemetery (C3) you will see a kauri tree at the roundabout. There is a sign to the left of this kauri which shows the burial layout in their denominations. From this roundabout you make your way back onto the walkway. Te Henui Cemetery was established in 1861 and was New Plymouth's main cemetery and contains many graves of the early settlers.
Return to top