McLarens Falls Park - A Colourful In Autumn

The best short walk ever? My best short walk has always been around the “Mount” - Mt Maunganui.

- Judy Simpson

But perhaps this walk is even better. 20 kms out of Tauranga, up the Kaimais is McLarens Falls Park.

Leaving the main highway you round a corner and there the rushing, racing waters of the two rivers make a spectacular picture and a great picnic spot but we mustn’t stop as the Park and Autumn calls.

The short drive to the first car park is through an avenue of huge plane trees. They tower above and the brown, yellow leaves cover the tarmac and make a crisping sound under the tyres.

Conveniently, no pun intended, there are excellent toilets, a large story/ map board and a small indoor display/ information area plus an excellent café, The Falls Retreat. Shut today (Monday)

We like to begin our walk from here as it gives us a longer short walk. Down the steps to the lake, this morning still and reflective. Yea! No wind.

It’s very noisy as the tuis and fantails chat overhead and on the lake the ducks chatter to each other. We wondered what they were saying as they scrabbled across the water.

Lots of swans too but they were silently and elegantly dipping and diving for breakfast.