Ruahine Dress Circle Scenic Reserve, PICNIC AND SWIMMING SPOT
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Tucked away on a side road off Ruahine Road northwest of Rangiwahia village in the northern Manawatu is an amazing picnic spot. According to the late Ngaire Hancock, who was a longtime resident of Rangiwahia, this spot has been a favourite for locals for over 100 years and has even featured in AA magazines, making it known throughout New Zealand. Its unique name, the Dress Circle, comes from early settlers, who, upon seeing the surrounding cliffs, were reminded of a “dress circle” in an opera house. The Mangawharariki Stream winds through the area, eroding the soft papa rock to create dramatic holes and a landscape described by Janet, formerly of ManawatuNZ, CEDA, as “Middle Earth.” While some waterfalls have been lost over time, a permanent horsetail waterfall still flows by the swimming hole, with another deeper, wider fall just downstream. Click on the link here or on the button below for a centre-stage view of the Dress Circle cliffs, which extends far across the farming landscape to the stunning Ruahine Range on the horizon. |
Directions To get there you you either come off Highway 1 north of Mangaweka onto Ruahine Road then turn left onto Kelpie Road & then left down Lagoon Road, which is a fairly narrow, windy and unsealed road. Keep left and drive slowly until you go over a bridge. Turn left down a short side road and you are at the picnic area and a limited parking area. It takes about 5 minutes drive from Ruahine Road. Otherwise drive through Rangiwahia then via left onto Ruahine Road. At any rate follow the directions on the map below. |
Picnic table at the lookout on Ruahine Road next to an information sign
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Sign by the picnic table.
Click to enlarge
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