Pan Pac’s Rock Station, Wednesday 22 July 2026
Banner Photo: The views east from the ‘Rock Garden’
We were privileged to be the first group to walk this new track developed by Pan Pac. After communication with Conor at Pan Pac, gaining resource consent, being made aware of the emergency procedures, identifying the health and safety hazards and risks and collecting the gate keys, we were ready to roll.
This was a new area for us, and the weather was perfect. Twelve members in three 4WD vehicles drove on the Napier-Taupo Road to Te Pohue and found the entrance to the farm. We slowly made our way on a metal road through the farm for about 10 minutes to an area just before a washout, parked and prepared for the tramp.
Like many of our tramps, this one started uphill. The track was in excellent condition, mainly grassy and compacted dirt with evidence of 3-wheeler bikes having recently gone through.
The first section was a gentle climb for several kilometres. We stopped often to admire the expansive view right out to the ocean. Pan Pac’s pine trees were dotted around us everywhere; small, as most were only five years old.
One of the memorial plaques to previous owners
It wasn’t long before we were staring up at the Te Waka transmitter and trig. We were hoping that Pan Pac owned that land too, as we used to walk from Potter’s Road up to the trig but haven’t for several years now because of a change of ownership. Further along the track, we found the perfect sunny spot for morning tea and were again aware of the great expanse of land in front of us. We still had clear blue skies and no wind.
As we continued following the ridge line, we noticed a few rocks clinging to the hillside, and knew we weren’t far from the ‘Rock Garden’.
The aptly named Rock Garden
Wow! It was awesome walking into this garden area. Gigantic limestone rocks everywhere and trees and bush in between. This was a special treat. The incredible shapes of the rocks fired peoples’ imaginations. Of course, Campbell couldn’t resist climbing to the top of the mound.
It was here that memories flooded back for Jenny, who remembered her horse ride with a few friends up into the rock garden in the early 2000s. Most of all, she remembered the memorials to Mr and Mrs King who once owned the land. Their memorial plaques were hidden under tree debris and lay on the side of a huge rock. Once cleared, we could read the print.
This was an ideal place to have lunch, with superb views over the wind farm, rolling hills, forests, farmland, and out to Tutira and the ocean. A group photo was a priority.
More Rock Garden formations
Then we needed to complete the circuit track back to the cars. This section was very grassy and lumpy, so you had to take a little extra care when placing feet. To reach the cars took just over an hour. The worst part was walking the last kilometre on the metal road.
With lots of scenery stops, a morning tea break and lunch, the tramp took close to four hours. A great day out to a new area.
The group selfie
Thank you very much to Pan Pac management for making this possible and sharing this special place with our club members. Pan Pac has a remarkable property and we were very glad to explore it.
Trampers: Doug Matheson, Simon Hill, Campbell Living, Selina Chilton, Ian Pirie, Michelle Finlayson, Juliet Gillick, John Russell, Kate Fuller, Jenny Burns, Alison Greer and Sue Martin
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