About | Hipapatua Recreational Reserve
The Hipapatua Recreational Reserve is a place that you can come and either relax by the Waikato River or go in for a swim. The beautiful colours of the crystal clear river makes it a great spot to lay down a picnic blanket with a good book and some nice lunch. Jump in from the rope swing or climb the tree and jump from the branch. Though it’s deep, you’ll find some shallow areas that the kids can have a little splash and play in. Stay in close to the edge of the river where it’s safest, the mighty Waikato River was given its name for a reason.
You may even see white water kayaks coming down the river while you’re there – this is the end point of where they end their kayak tour.
There’s free camping available here (with a maximum of 3 nights/4 days). Take note of when the gates close though so you don’t find yourself stuck in/out. It was 6pm when I was there.
Just down the road is Huka Falls and from there a few walking tracks.
Good toilet facilities.
Nearby
Huka Falls River Cruise or Jetboat
Wairakei Terraces – thermal pools are adult only but children are welcomed for the Maori experience and walkway.
Lava Glass – Glassblowing Studio, Sculpture Garden, Art Gallery, Café
Location
Photos
We totally came across the Hipapatua Recreational Reserve by chance and I’m so glad we did because boy, was it fun. Park up, have your togs ready because you just may want to go in for a swim if it’s a nice day! Being the Waikato River, the current can be quite strong so be cautious with the kids or even those that aren’t confident swimmers. On arrival, we didn’t know much about the place but knew that the Huka Falls were just down the line so we were a little cautious until a couple parked up and were totally sure that we’d be fine. Sam started us off with a tree jump and then of course, Ash wanted to hop in. If you walk a little bit further up there’s a nice shallow entrance for kids to begin in and that’s where he started off.
There were pockets of water in the river where it was safe to swim. While we were there, someone actually swam to the other side of the current and two girls let the current take them a couple of meters down the river where they were able to swim out. Our kids mostly stayed in the shallows and when Ashton dived in he always stayed close to the side of the river.
More and more people kept arriving to enjoy this amazing spot and we all cheered everyone on who was brave enough to either rope swing in or jump from the tree. It was such a lovely vibe that this quickly became one of our favourite spots – but then again we’re always a sucker for good swimming spots and Hipapatua Recreational Reserve didn’t disappoint.
