This is a medium-grade tramp, largely on farms and in bush but includes a small portion of road margin. The track is steep sometimes. Expect hills with 150-metre ascents and descents. It pauses on top of high karsts to stare across the King Country's low agriculture and tumbled limestone hills that rise to formidable volcanic summits – north to Pirongia, east to Pureora, and south to Ruapehu.

From Waitomo Village, take a short road walk east along Te Anga Rd, turn south into Fullerton Rd. Follow it for 1 km until you see a stile on the east (lefthand) side.

Cross the stile and follow the orange markers across open farmland (take time to locate them as there are a few confusing spots around here). Continue under pylons, across another stile into the Burton farm (private land), up through bush and over a stile at the high point, follow the fenceline south over a saddle to the southern corner at the next high point, follow down through bush, cross a bridged stream.

Follow the markers along a ridgeline onto a farm track, over a stile and follow the southern (righthand) marked fence to the next stile; then continue on down to a farm race (giving way to any animals found on it). Look for a stile on the NE (lefthand) side after crossing a farm bridge over a stream and then head for a suspension bridge over the Mangapu River.

Once over the suspension bridge, the track heads through Pehitawa Forest  (Queen Elizabeth II Trust-covenanted land and one of the finest remaining stands of Kahikatea trees). Follow markers up a ridgeline to a fence near the top of the hill and over a stile to Oparure Rd.

The following section is closed for lambing 1 Aug – 1 Oct each year (it can be avoided by taking a detour part way i.e. walking east on Gadsby Rd to SH3):  Cross over a stile on the southern side of Oparure Rd onto private farmland. At the top of a hill, are 2 stiles separated by a farm race. Just 50m NE of here is a viewing point of historical pohutukawa and holly trees (see information below).

Beyond these stiles, you will cross a bridged stream, another stile and then veer to the west (right). Partly up the next paddock, past a small stand of trees is the next marker & stile onto Gadsby Rd. 

On the southern side of Gadsby Rd, cross over another stile to get back onto farmland and head south to trig point 263, then turn sharply E/NE to scramble through the pines to link up first with Brook Park Reserve’s Red Trail, then the Blue Trail to exit on SH3 on the northern outskirts of Te Kuiti. 

History behind the historic British holly and Maori pohutukawa trees:
In 1883 Maori chief Mahuki seized a railway surveying party, Wilson Hursthouse and others. Mahuki remained furious at Hursthouse’s role in sacking the peaceful village of Parihaka. The Pakehas peered from their prison shed to see Maori writing their names on pigs before slitting the pig throats. Around then, the door of the cell crashed open and there stood their rescuer, Te Kooti, himself an outlaw. Whitinui Joseph, great grandfather of the All Black Jamie Joseph, and a kinsman of Mahuki, celebrated the peace by planting two trees - a British holly and a Maori pohutukawa - on the spot where this happened.

Brook Park offers a country setting with panoramic views of Te Kuiti. The park is used as a farming operation by the Te Kuiti High School Charitable Trust, but pedestrian access is allowed at all times. Care must be taken not to disturb the sheep, especially during lambing.
 
Noted tree collections are scattered throughout the Park, i.e. Black Walnuts, Pinus Radiata tree crops, Rhododendrums including native trees such as Kauri and Rimu. In addition a recently developed Memorial Arbor offers a spectacular array of colourful trees in a peaceful setting.