Try the Play43 Challenge: at Geraldine Domain Kennedy Park and Talbot St
Discover some interesting geo caching sites: there are more than 100 caches to hunt for! Download a FREE geocaching app to your phone and search for caches in your area and follow the instructions to find it. When you are in the location of the cache you’ll need to look around and follow any clues given on the cache log to find the cache/container. Normally a cache contains a small piece of paper (log) for you to record your name as well as some small items – remember “Take some stuff, leave some stuff”. Replace the container back where you found it and record your find on your phone app which then automatically logs it back to your geocaching.com profile.
Walk in the footsteps of miners and sawmillers on the Kakahu Bush: Limestone Walk and gather wild blackberries along the path in autumn as a special treat. This area is rich with Maori Rock art
Experience Lord of the Rings scenery: by taking a drive through Peel Forest along the Rangitata Valley to Wow corner
Pop into the Geraldine Historical Musuem: on Cox street. Opening Monday to Saturday 10am to 3pm, and Sunday 12:30 – 3:00pm.
Go mountain biking along the Orari River:
Hide and Hunt painted rocks:
Find the gorges for swimming: (Te Moana, Waihi, even Orari). The swimming holes and waterfalls are stunning! Te Moana has beautiful hidden swimming spots that you can submerge in, or find shallow areas for the young the paddle. There are three freedom campgrounds along the River about 2km apart from each other. The campsite is marked by the long drop of public toilets. No Fires are allowed at the campsites. Here you can see the remnants of the vast podocarp forest that once covered the Canterbury foothills. You'll be able to spot rimu, kahikatea, mataī, miro and tōtara. There is also the Geraldine Forest here that is a plantation. Listen for bellbird (korimako) and the grey warbler (riroriro). There are cheeky fantails (piwakawaka) as and New Zealand pigeon (kereru). If you are really lucky you may get to see a whio, New Zealand's native blue duck with distinctive black edges on its bill. The rock cliffs and trees of The Te Moana Gorge are also home to the native long tailed bat (pekapeka). Further on up the Te Moana Gorge is the spectacular waterfall and walking tracks, these are tricky to access in a car as areas of the road have little streams.
Cruise the art galleries and studios: to see local and national artists and then create your own art at home.
Get a selfie with the World's largest Jersey: at Kiwi Country
Follow the heritage trail around town: you can pick up a visitor guide geraldine.nz
Take a walk on the wide side in Geraldine along the The riverside walk, located right in the heart of Geraldine; it winds its way along the Waihi River taking in Rhododendron Dell, magnificent in spring, as well as a small oasis of native bush found adjacent to Todd Park.
Take a trail at Talbot Forest: These short walks in and around Talbot Forest Scenic Reserve are ideal for families. There are four short walks through the forest which interconnect with roads around the reserve. doc.govt.nz/talbot-forest-tracks
- Kahikatea Track. 10 min. Distance: 683 m. This track connects Hislop Street with Totara Street picnic area. There are some fine kahikatea trees at the Hislop Street end where the land is wetter. Kahikatea can grow to be the tallest tree in the forest, reaching 40 metres.
- Tōtara Track. 5 min. Distance: 302 m. This track connects Totara Street with Tripp Street picnicarea. Next to the track is the largest tōtara in the reservewhich is estimated to be 800 years old. Tōtara were usedby Māori to built canoes. A large tree could be made into a waka taua (war canoe) capable of holding 100 warriors.
- Reservoir Track. 5 min. Distance: 225 m. This track connects Tripp Street picnic area with Bridge Street. The picnic area is a good starting point from which to explore the reserve. The iron gates on Bridge Street mark the old main entrance into the reserve.
- Mataī Track. 10 min. Distance: 680 m. This track connects Tripp Street with Totara Street. The track passes some impressive forest trees including mataī with its needle leaves and ‘hammered’ bark.
Ride your Mountain Bike in Peka Peka Gully right in town
Find the Orchard of Legends in Geraldine: The Incredible Edible Group created fruit tree trail and dedicated the trees to special individuals. Can you find them all? On your way, find something rough, fuzzy, beautiful, round, noisy, smooth, straight and two kinds of seeds.
- Peter Matthews - Geraldine Primary School
- John Bray - Orari Domain
- Hilda Joyce - outside St Andrews Church Hall, next to Kindergarten
- Wendy Patrick - Wilson Street, next to Aorangi Vets
- Vera Clearwater - St Mary's Church Grounds
- Katherine Hayhoe - St Mary's Church grounds
- Austen Deans - cnr Huffey & Cox Street
- Michael & Bridgette Barker - outside Haywood Cottage Montessori (Huffey Street)
- Jan Hill - outside Haywood Cottage Montessori (Huffey Street)
- Jim Hopa - police station, Talbot Street
- John Badcock - outside Post Office
- Trish Reader - beside Geraldine Academy of Performing arts, Talbot Street
- Bob & Margaret Andrews - Z garage garden
Orchard of legends are green markers on the map. The peach coloured markers are the edible plots. See the group on facebook: facebook.com/incredibleediblegeraldine
Go on a fern and fungi hunt in Peel Forest and say hello to Big Trees and 1000 year old giants: just 20 minutes from Geraldine, has been a popular spot for people wanting to get away from town for nearly 100 years. Originally a timber milling settlement Peel Forest Park was established in the 1920’s to protect the remaining native bush. Today the forest no longer hums with industry, and instead is a peaceful haven full of native birdsong. Here you’ll find a fantastic variety of ferns and fungi, as well as ancient forest giants, with some trees more than 1000 years old. Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve has extensive walking tracks from the awe inspiring 30 minute ‘Big Tree Walk’ to the heady heights of Little Mt Peel, the climb to its 1311m summit is a walk of several hours.
Adventure in the Pioneer Park Conservation Area and find a special chimney: has two tracks from 30 min - 2 hr. It is 32 km from Geraldine. Follow the Geraldine Fairlie Highway (79) for 23 km before turning onto Gudex Road. Take the next right onto Middle Valley Road. Follow this road for 2 km before turning left through iron gates into Pioneer Park. This 390-hectare conservation area has links with the earlysettlers of the district. Pioneer Park got its name in recognition of the early pioneer families who settled in this area; “to commemorate the courage and forbearance of the early settlers”. Mr Burke was the first settler to drive a bullock cart over the pass (which now bears his name) into the Mackenzie country. Within the reserve, a chimney is all that remains of the house he built in 1885.
Walk in the footsteps of past pioneers: the walkway follows an old tramway line to the The Kakahu Lime Kiln area, south of Geraldine. From the 1880’s it was used to transport marble chips from the bush clad hilltop to the kiln, which marks the beginning of the walk. Further along the road is a short walk to interesting limestone cliffs.
- Homebush Track. 30 min return Distance: 1 km. Short walk with stream crossing This loop track starts from the campground, crossing a small stream and then climbing to a ridge where there are large kaikahikatea and tötara. The most impressive is a stately tötara about three metres in diameter. The track then returns via the Burke Hut memorial.
- White Pine Track. 2 hours return. Distance: 5 km. Easy tramping with stream crossings. This track starts from the Pioneer Park campground and climbs through regenerating native bush and then through introduced forestry trees. The return leg drops steeply into a native bush gully and zigzags (seven times) across the stream before meeting the original track. A left turn takes you back to the campground.