AT A GLANCE
Why go?
At the end of a long gravel road where the Waiohine River cuts through a gorge on the edge of Tararua Forest Park, a 75-metre suspension bridge swings high above the water — the tallest crossing in the entire range. Reaching it is part of the adventure: a winding drive through hill country leads to a DOC campsite where native bush, cold clear pools, and a network of tramping routes await.↗↗
Whether you're testing your nerve on the bridge, swimming beneath it, or setting off on a two-day tramp deeper into the forest park, the Waiohine Gorge Suspension Bridge is a gateway to some of the Wairarapa's most rewarding backcountry experiences.↗
A Spectacular Gateway to the Tararuas
The Waiohine Gorge was carved over millennia by the Waiohine River — the longest watercourse in the Tararua Ranges — slicing through ancient sandstone and mudstone to create the dramatic chasm the bridge now spans. The river exits the ranges here, and at that exact point the landscape shifts from open hill pasture to dense native forest. The suspension bridge marks the threshold between those two worlds: on one side, gravel roads and farmland; on the other, beech canopy, cascading streams, and trails that run for days into the mountain wilderness.
