Some 30km southwest from Whakatane, roughly halfway between Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty, is Kawerau (pop. 8,000), a planned new town established in 1953 at the foot of Mount Edgecumbe. It lies near the large Kaingaroa State Forest with its extensive plantings of pines.
The extinct volcano (805m) is an easy climb. It is possible to bathe in the crater lake on the summit, from which there are breathtaking views. The hill is sacred to the Ngatiawa tribe as a place of burial and there have long been protests against deforestation on the hill and demands for its return to the Maoris.
22km southwest of Kawerau the Tarawera River, after flowing for some distance though a system of karstic caves, plunges over a 60m high rock face. A path runs through the forest to the falls.
The town is dependent on the Tasman Pulp and Paper Mill, which produces mainly newsprint and cellulose for export. Substantial quantities of sawn timber are also produced and sold mainly to Australia. A decisive factor in siting the mill here was the existence nearby of a geothermal field, and natural hot steam is used to produce power. The mill processes an annual 2 million cu.m of timber from the huge pine forests in the surrounding area.
Tips: Conducted tours daily 1.30pm, starting from the main entrance.
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