Harker Reserve

A 3km walking and riding track near Onewhero, through native bush and farmland, with views, streams, and a fine waterfall.

The Track

The main track follows the Half-way Gulley Road which many years ago was the access road to Onewhero.
The track is well graded for easy walking but can be muddy in wet weather.

A side track leads to Vivian Falls / Te Wai heke a Maoa – a hidden gem and a landmark in local Maori history.

Apart from the track along the old road line, all the Harker Reserve is private land. The Harker family protected 25 hectares of bush on the northern side of the track under a Queen Elizabeth II covenant in 1982, and further areas on the southern side and at the waterfall to the west have been protected by the landowners since.

Please keep to the track. Open areas adjoining the track are private farmland – leave gates as you find them and keep dogs on lead and under control at all times. In the bush areas the track is easy walking and there are benches and pinic tables for your enjoyment, but pelase do not stray further off the track – the country is steep with hidden drops.

Pest control is helping to protect the diversity of the trees, plants and bird life in the Harker Reserve, which is a designated Key Ecological Site.

Access

There is parking at the entrances at either end of the track: on the Onewhero-Tuakau Bridge Road, 1km up the hill from the Tuakau Bridge, and off the end of Miller Road, at Kaipo Flats, near Onewhero.

Conservation Group

The Harker Reserve and track are looked after by a group of local volunteers, with funding and support from the Waikato Regional and District Councils, and the Queen Elizabeth II Trust. If you would like to help contact Ross Galbreath at [email protected] or phone 09 232 8113.