"Te Aroha" Te Aroha by allikat

Te Aroha Travel Guide: 17 reviews and 56 photos

The Te Aroha Information Centre - Te Aroha

A Mountain and a Township

Te Aroha is a pretty little township nestled at the base of Mount Te Aroha, over 3,000 feet of mountain forming part of the Kaimai Range. You would be forgiven for thinking that the mountain would provide shelter for the township, but in fact wild weather tends to roll off the Kaimais and regularly batters the little town with wind and rain. Luckily, both my recent visits coincided with beautiful blue skies and fine weather, and Te Aroha with all it's old buildings is certainly a lovely place to explore in the sunshine.

Te Aroha is a Maori placename, although it is believed that there was no real permanent Maori settlement here much before the early nineteenth century. However a Maori chief is said to have named the mountain and the township - Te Aroha means 'loved' or 'beloved'.

Mount Te Aroha

This photo shows the hulk of Mount Te Aroha, rising up suddenly from the otherwise generally flat farmland. The area surrounding the town has many dairy farms, as the land here is known to be lush, green and fertile.
Te Aroha is the highest peak of the dense bush-covered sloped of the dramatic Kaimai Ranges, rough country but very beautiful. There are many walking opportunities in the area. This is an area of New Zealand that overseas visitors will generally pass by on their way to better-known (and busier) tourist hotspots, and it is an area that I would recommend you explore if your itinerary allows. Only an hour and a half or so from Auckland, this would make an ideal daytrip even for those with little time to spare in the area.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Plenty to explore, lots of history, only 90 minutes from Auckland
Cons:Weather rolling off the mountains can be rough at times
In a nutshell:A little gem of a township and a great day out!

Last visit to Te Aroha: Aug 2006
Intro Updated Oct 14, 2006
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Reviews (6)

Visitor Centre and Information Point Favorites (1)

Te Arohas Information Centre was built as the ticketing and information office for the Domain - it has been an... more travel advice

Ironique Cafe & Bar Restaurants (1)

Ironique is a great little cafe with a bit of a difference. The cafe has been decorated with an iron theme - the bar is... more travel advice

Walk Te Arohas Heritage Trail Things to Do (4)

Te Aroha isn't a large township, but seems packed full of local history. The Te Aroha Heritage Trail is a walk around... more travel advice

Quilt Museum Things to Do (4)

Housed in one of Te Arohas many historic buildings, the Quilt Museum is free to look around. On display are many quilts... more travel advice

Travelogues (2)

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Comments (10)

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Tugboatguy Feb 4, 2008 at 11:15 PM

Hi Allison, Thank you for your Tip ratings-my Colorado Springs pages. Yes, Zeb's and the Broadmoor (mine, not yours) are great places to get memorable meals, along with superb views-lol, Doug
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Gillybob Feb 4, 2008 at 12:52 AM

We'll miss you - but will take you with us in spirit! And now I KNOW they're all going to take the michael out of me - without another Pom to come to the defence!! Boohooo!!! Gillybob greetings
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sourbugger Jan 6, 2008 at 4:17 PM

memory fails - i've been here before ! an interesting side to NZ, a quilt museum indeed ! entry 15 togs ?
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craic Oct 14, 2007 at 3:40 PM

what a wonderful page - I wondwer if I have been to this town, maybe.
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pekepeke Jan 7, 2007 at 10:48 PM

Just visited this site for the first time and the site of the Hazelwood Hotel brought a tear to my eye. I used to work there in 1961/62.
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raytor Dec 5, 2006 at 6:08 PM

Its even better to see you. You look great. :-)
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vtveen Nov 20, 2006 at 4:42 AM

Sweet memories: reading your tips and seeing the pics of Te Aroha. We stayed for about one week during our first New Zealand trip.
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Darby2 Oct 29, 2006 at 12:16 PM

Loved reading about the old pipe organ...I found one in the Lac La Biche Mission that dates from about 1850
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alucas Oct 16, 2006 at 5:38 AM

So did you go in the spa ? Is that you I can see in the main pool ?
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kiwi Oct 15, 2006 at 12:58 PM

At the feet?? hahaha. I'm only glad you "eventually" made it up to the church LOL ;-)