The Mangakino Lakefront Reserve is the starting point for the Waipapa Trail, before making your way to the beginning of the trail at the forest edge.

The trail begins in the forest where you’ll catch glimpse of old car parts from days gone by that have been entwined in the roots and foliage of the dense forest plants. As the trail heads up and down alongside the river you’ll also catch sight of rowing crews paddling in perfect sync as they power their way along the river.

As you get deeper into the forest you’ll encounter long stretches of the concrete foundations of the Maraetai Dam that run adjacent to the trail – before reaching the remnants of the old concrete plant that was used to build the dam. This structure, overgrown with foliage and towering amongst the trees, are the old foundations of a six stories high batching plant where concrete was mixed for the Maraetai II powerhouse nearby. Locomotives with skips once sat underneath the structure ready for shoots-full of mixed concrete before travelling the railway line around and up the hill – where the skips were flying-foxed above the river to be distributed.