The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand at 425km. It runs from Tongariro National Park through Lake Taupo and into the sea just south of Auckland.
An enjoyable footpath runs from Spa Thermal Park off Spa Road to Aracatia Rapids. An hour walk from Spa Road will bring you to Huka Falls, a popular sight that can also be reached by car. Therefore, you will encounter many other visitors. Standing on the footbridge looking south towards Lake Taupo the water is aqua blue and looks as smooth as velvet. Look over the other side and all you see is the churning white water. What a difference a few feet make! As a side note, Huka Jet provides boat tours on the Waikato to see the falls from another prospective as well as jumping the rapids.
From this point you can continue on for another two hours walking to Aracatia Rapids, where the powerhouse control gates open at 10, 12, 2 and 4pm, flooding the river valley within minutes. As with Huka Falls, this area also can be reached by auto, enabling many tourists to visit the sight. Rapids Jet boat provides a view from the river of this area as well. No, you don’t get to boat up to the floodgate and wait for it to flood and ride the waves!
The walkway is relatively flat with a few moderate hills, but not wheelchair accessible except at the major sites should you choose to tour by vehicle. The path is very lush without any obstacles unless a storm has a tree to uproot and fall into the normal walkway as I came across making me create my own detour. Along the way there are also short paths leading to the river for photo opportunities and one spot complete with dock for sunbathing.