Listing 210

Far below is the village of Upper Takaka, but the road is easier on this side" it's only 15 minutes down.

In your haste to get to Golden Bay you may have missed one or two sights at the top of the Marble Mountain ??" don't worry, you'll be driving back this way in a few days. The Bay is a hidden paradise with only one road in and out. Just before the actual summit is the unsealed road to Canaan (one of the Lord of the Rings sites). Some 12 kms along this road and after a 40 minute walk from the carpark is the heart-stopping 183 metre deep Harwood's Hole. Beyond are the walking tracks of the Abel Tasman National Park and, for mountain bike enthusiasts, the exciting Rameka Track down to Takaka.

Breaks in your journey can be made at the top of the hill to enjoy the breathtaking views of the world below from lookout points and short walks at either side. You may choose to go down into the mountain itself at the Ngarua Caves. If time, weather and fitness permit, the Takaka Hill Walkway takes you through both fantastic marble landscapes and remnant forest.