Mount Taranaki at sunset from the Pouakai Circuit. Photo credit: Kate Ross
The Pouakai circuit is a 2-3 day adventure located in Egmont National Park on New Zealand’s North Island. The track starts at the North Egmont Visitor’s centre, which is a 30 minute drive from New Plymouth.
I completed this track in February 2025, after almost five years of eagerly waiting to come back to New Zealand. Although the weather did not cooperate and I didn’t get the epic views I wanted at the Pouakai Tarns, I still enjoyed walking this track given the other interesting natural features it highlights.
Here is some beta for you to use while planning your hike on the Pouakai Circuit.
Trail Stats
Distance: 25km
Elevation: 1,668m (from AllTrails)
Route Type: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking season: December – April
Planning Resources
The Department of Conservation website has lots of useful information and topographic maps to help you plan your trip.
Preparing for the Trip
Itinerary
If you are an experienced and fast hiker, you could do this as a very long day hike. There are two huts along the route so you could also break this down into a three-day, two night adventure.
I chose to complete this track over two days, going in a clockwise direction.
Transportation to Trailhead
I drove to the North Egmont DoC visitor’s centre, which is on the eastern side of Egmont National Park, and parked my vehicle there overnight. The road is sealed and in good condition.
Sleeping Options
Pouakai Hut is scheduled to be re-opened in mid 2025. At the time of writing, Holly Hut was $25/night for an adult and requires pre-booking. You can camp outside of Holly Hut, which is $10/night. Camping tickets should be purchased at the visitor’s centre prior to embarking on any trip.
On the Trail
Day 1: North Egmont to Holly Hut
I started the walk to Holly Hut in the early afternoon as I descended from Syme Hut that same morning. The trail climbs steadily on a well-formed gravel path through the forest. The shade was appreciated given my late start!
The sun-dappled trail to Holly Hut. Photo credit: Kate Ross
After 30 minutes of climbing the trail enters the alpine area and you get some fantastic views of the city of New Plymouth and out into the ocean. From here the trail flattens slightly and you continue to traverse the side of Mount Taranaki.
You’ll pass the Dieffenbach Cliffs as well as an iron-red river along this segment of the trail. Expect to cross a number of slips on this section as well.
These cliffs were formed by the erosion of sedimentary rock surrounding them over time. Photo credit: Kate Ross
In the distance you will see the Ahukawakawa Swamp where white “skeleton trees” litter the vast valley. These trees died due to the introduction of land-based mammals such as possums. Another example of the loss of biodiversity and due to the introduction of invasive species by humans, who thought they knew best.
I found this section of the trail was very interesting due to the diversity of natural features discussed above. The trail switches between a gravel track and a well-formed boardwalk until you reach Holly Hut.
An example of the boardwalk descending towards Holly Hut as the rain rolls in. Photo credit: Kate Ross
Holly Hut is a surprisingly large hut, and I ended up having a room to myself as there were only three of us in the hut on this particular night.
One of my hut-mates and I decided to explore the side trip to Bells Falls at sunset. The trail descends for about 45 minutes, with panoramic views of Mount Taranaki and the native forest, and terminating at a large waterfall with a river great for swimming.
Bells Falls at sunset. Photo credit: Kate Ross
We timed our sunset exploration perfectly, as the clouds rolled in and the rain began to fall just as we arrived back at the hut. I hoped that the clouds would clear overnight so we would be able to get some views on the next day.
Day 2: Holly Hut to North Egmont (via Henry Peak)
Unfortunately when I woke up in the morning, it was still spitting rain and the clouds had rolled in. I decided to just get going and hope that the weather would clear by the time I reached Pouakai Tarns.
From Holly Hut the trail descends further into the Ahukawakawa Swamp on a boardwalk. You will cross a river on this boardwalk and then begin to climb up towards the Pouakai tarns. You can take a side trip to summit Pouakai itself, but given the poor visibility I opted to skip this section.
I arrived at the tarns about 2 hours after leaving Holly Hut, and waited in the rain for 20-30 minutes, hoping the skies would clear. Unfortunately, I started to get very cold, and since the skies showed no signs of clearing, I decided to continue onwards.
An example of when the expectations don’t quite align with reality. Photo credit: Kate Ross
The track continues to climb on a well-formed boardwalk until you reach the summit of Mount Henry. I stopped here briefly for a snack and to rehydrate, but given the howling wind and rain I did not stay long.
Eventually, once you are back in the forest, the well-formed boardwalk stops and you will continue to descend through muddy and rooty forest. The rain eventually let off and by the time I reached the Kai Auahi shelter, it had stopped entirely and I could see some blue skies.
From the shelter you will cross a swing bridge and continue back uphill towards the visitor’s centre. You can return to the visitor’s centre by walking up the access road, or by taking the longer Ram Track. I opted to take the shortcut up the road given I was soaking wet.
Once I arrived at the visitor’s centre, the sun emerged, although Mount Taranaki and the Pouakai circuit were still immersed in cloud. I spent some time drying off all my things and making myself hot tea in the parking lot before I drove to New Plymouth for a well-earned hot meal of fish and chips.
Summary
Unfortunately for me the weather didn’t quite pan out on Day 2 of this adventure, but I really enjoyed Day 1.
The circuit is very doable for a moderate hiker – due to the presence of boardwalks it’s not particularly technical. I would recommend this to anyone looking to do some hiking on the North Island who has already checked out the Tongariro region and is looking for something a little different.
Have you completed the Pouakai Circuit before?
