Marios Gavalas
Author And Researcher
I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.
I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!
700 m return | 20 minutes return
Mangapohue Natural Bridge is a highlight on the scenic drive from Waitomo Village to Marokopa. The 5 minute track to the left is pushchair-friendly and follows a boardwalk through an impressive limestone gorge that brings you underneath a natural bridge.
Mangapohue Natural Bridge Scenic Reserve is signposted on the right, 24 km west of Waitomo Caves. There’s a large parking area with picnic tables and toilets just over the bridge.
The first section to the twin bridge is flat and board walked with a bridge over the Mangapohue Stream. The gorge is impressive with wheelchair access to the lower viewing platform. From here there are steps to upper viewing platform.
Continuing, you cross a stile into farmland. It can be muddy and slippery as you pass limestone outcrops with fossilised oyster shells. Another stile leads back to the main track to complete the loop.
Most limestone in the area was deposted during the Oligocene geological period around 34-23 million years ago. Calcareous sandstones and mudstones were deposited in warmer climates and higher latitudes, eventually being compressed to form the karst limestones of today.
On the ceiling are these weird bio stalactites. Unlike usual hard calcareous non-biological deposits, these have been formed by mosses and algae feeding off the calcium rich waters, depositing the excess precipitate as they grown. They are known as epitrophic speleothems.
The fossilised oysters after the bridge are around 35 million years old and reached sizes of nearly a foot long! Would likely have been like eating your car tyre with a bit of salt.
Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC WaikatoCentral government organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Waitomo |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |