Family Adventures

Bridal Veil Falls / Wairenga – Our Adventures Start Here

Our family recently took a trip to bridal veil falls and we were blown away by the beauty of the falls and the surrounding forest. Located 13km off State Highway 23 (the main road between Hamilton and Raglan) and approximately a 45 minute drive from Hamilton, this is definitely a great day trip adventure.

There are several viewing spots for the falls, including from above, mid-way, and below. The walk to the bottom of the falls is suitable for the family but there are a lot of stairs so it is not Pram friendly and requires a reasonable amount of fitness . We saw lots of young kids on the trail and even took our one year old our macpac baby carrier, which was a great way to keep him close, and safe while still enjoying the beautiful scenery.

As we got to the end of the trail, we stumbled upon a post with a sign for “Kiwi Guardians”. We signed up for the program when we got home and have printed out the booklet, which includes cool places to visit all over New Zealand and learn about nature while getting outdoors. Plus, for every place visited, you can enter the secret code online and your kids will receive a real medal and adventure certificate in the mail! Our kids are patiently awaiting their first medals and are excited to continue our adventures and earn more. The program is run by DOC and is a great way to get the kids involved in the outdoors including tasks you can do from home as well as adventures. Visit http://www.kiwiguardians.co.nz to learn more !

The falls themselves are beautiful, and the surrounding forest is truly enchanting. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of water. Unfortunately you can’t swim here as the water has come through farmland and is not safe to drink or swim in.

Overall, we highly recommend Bridal Veil Falls as a fun family outing or day trip . Pack a picnic and have it at the platform at the bottom of the falls , or carry on to Raglan afterwards for a day at the beach . Raglan is only 15-20 minutes drive from Bridal Veil falls.

After exploring the forest we decided to carry on our adventures and head to the coast and followed the road to Ruapuke beach . What we did not know was how windy the road was, and it was a skinny gravel road a lot of the way . Unfortunately, 3 out of 5 of us get travel sickness so we had several stops along the way to settle our stomachs. BUT the drive ended up being worth the struggle. At the end of the gravel road was the most beautiful west coast beach. Basically deserted with a long stretch of sparkling black sand, stunning cliffs , sea mist and rolling waves. The kids loved getting out of the car and running in the waves soaking up the fresh air and sunshine . It was a truly stunning backdrop!

After getting covered in salt and sand, we headed back along the coast enjoying the stunning scenery and winding over the hills and cliff ridges until we got to Raglan . It was a big trip for the kids and lots of twists and turns but they all handled it so well and we played lots of eye spy to distract them from their squeamish tummies and get them looking out at the beautiful views.

We ended our day with a play on the playground at the beach in Raglan and a classic kiwi fish and chips picnic. What an amazing afternoon exploring our gorgeous country . We are excited to go on more adventures as a family now, earn some more Kiwi Guardian badges and get outside , off our devices and see our world .

Where shall we go on our next adventure?

The Rogers Family xx