The Mangapohue Natural Bridge Walk is a must-do if you're passing near Te Kuiti in the Waitomo area of the North Island.

I would say this is a hidden gem, but it's absolutely got the means to support more tourism. I've travelled around a lot of the North Island and hadn't heard much about it until 2024. If you're visiting the famous Marokopa Falls, I would 10000% recommend factoring some time into your day to come here, as it's located along the same scenic drive.

To get to the Natural Bridge, you'll follow a 20-minute/700m loop track. The boardwalk takes you through an incredible limestone gorge and underneath a 17m high stone archway that was once part of a cave system.

The boardwalk is pushchair and wheelchair friendly. On the way out, I recommend keeping an eye out for stalactite-like formations on the ceiling and fossils in the limestone as some are over 25 million years old.

While you're in the area, visit Marokopa Falls and Piripiri Cave, which are within 5 minutes of each other! It's a gorgeous stop on your road trip that can be done in no more than half a day.