Rāhina dawned, chilly, crisp and clear.

Most walkers arrived clad in warm coats and woolly hats while a few stoic souls tempted fate in shorts.

After arriving at Tokaanu we walked beside the tailrace to the base of the legendary twin offspring of Mount Tauhara and Pihanga, Maunganamu.

Burrowing through the blackberry onto the secluded track through bush was like entering another world.

Kānuka, rangiora and many varieties of tree ferns including ponga or silver fern crowded in on the narrow trail.

Mossy boulders and fallen tree trunks added colour and easy surmountable obstacles to our passage.

The track winds a circular route ending at a viewing platform.

On the way up we had glimpses of the water from the tailrace entering Lake Taupō and Wahi village bathed in sunlight.

Vehicles rushed along the SH41 below; their occupants presumably oblivious to the peaceful ngahere above.

Intake pipes for the Tokaanu power station, built between 1966 and 1973, were just visible through the greenery.

The lookout provided good views of the western foreshore and little inlets around the lake edge.

With a little sideways effort we could just see both the new and old Tokaanu wharves stretching out across the water.

Our next port of call was the old Tokaanu wharf.

We drove to the entrance of the gravel road and then walked to the wharf.

Australasian bittern or matuku had been seen in daylight hours resting in the shallows amongst the raupo.

We hoped, by being quiet we might catch sight of one. Keeping quiet with so many boots crunching on the gravel and the occasional whispered word was probably wishful thinking and we didn’t see the bird but did enjoy the walk.

The old wharf was a very busy commercial spot in the 1800’s with wool, flax, dairy products, mail and visitors being transported by boat across the lake to avoid more arduous land routes.

Regular services ceased in 1920 when road and rail services in the North Island improved, and the wharf fell into disrepair.

A restoration started in 2003 reusing some of the old beams and planks, but the access is barricaded and a section completely absent.

A bonus was a walker sharing the story of Captain Tom Ryan and the history and important role of the steamboat Tongariro in those times.

A man of many talents, Tom was also an All Black, an artist, fisherman, tour guide and linguist.

The wharf is a beautiful spot with many families of ducks, swans and other waterfowl cruising the water and the aging structure simply added to the peacefulness.

We braved the state highway and walked back to Tokaanu and the Tokaanu Thermal Walk.

The day and the ground had warmed up as we made our way around the easy, well-maintained track.

Trout idled below the bridge over the Tokaanu Stream which is a spawning stream.

Mineral pools seen on the walk were once used for their curative qualities, bathing and cooking.

A section of ground was covered in sinter deposits that appeared like a forest of tiny white stalagmites.

Today geothermal activity was muted but bubbling water and mud indicated the heat beneath.

An old changing shed, now off limits, and the fact the ground below the existing carpark was once a hot pool demonstrate the changeable nature of such areas.

Although the public pool adjacent to the walk is shut for refurbishing the private thermal pools are still available.

We ended the day with a brief visit to the new wharf before returning home.

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