Pāpāmoa Three Peaks

Starting at the main carpark for the Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park, follow the main track to the Pāpāmoa Hills Trig Make sure to bag the trig on the way up.

You drop down across farmland from the summit and then follow the open ridge towards Summerhill. Head into Summerhill carpark, and across the road (Reid Road), you'll see the entrance to the western side of the trails. Follow this trail, including the few hairpin bends, and then staying high (left) at the few junctions. Note, share this trail with care - keep an eye and ear out for mountain bikers.

The trail will soon run alongside the road - carry on, until you are right alongside the road for a second time (around 4.8km). On your left, you'll see a stile over the fence - hop over this and onto the sealed road.

If you miss this stile, you'll soon know as you'll come out at gravel farm road. Simply turn left and follow the gravel farm road and you'll soon meet the sealed road.

Head up the road for a solid climb, all the way into Summerhill Golf Course. Keep going straight through the golf course and down the few hundred metres of gravel road that runs alongside a fairway and practise range.

Soon you'll reach a gate and the unsealed Te Puke Quarry Road (7km in) - turn left onto the road and follow this for 600m until you reach Otawa Trig parking on the right (a small DoC carpark).

In this carpark, head over the stile and make your way up through the farmland. Follow this farm track until you reach the bush line.

Now you're in the bush, you'll hit the main track along the top at about 9.7km - now there's just one trail to follow to Otawa Trig. A few side tracks generally loop quickly back to the main track, and if ever in doubt, choose the most formed track and keep an eye for the orange DoC arrows.

You'll reach the summit of Otawa Trig at 13km - time to turn around and retrace your steps.

As you're nearing the end of the bush, instead of heading left (the way you came up), stay high (straight ahead) and this will bring you out to the farmland and across to Whareotetarakeho Trig - your third summit of the day.

From this trig, follow the fenceline steep down to the left and then turn right once you're back on the farm track.

When you're back at Otawa Trig carpark, head straight over the road and up the unsealed / gravel. This will bring you out at the top of Reid Road, just below the golf course.

Follow the road back down until you reach the point you joined it on your way up. Instead of going back over the stile, go through the gate on the right (South Entry), and follow this farm track which sidles around before climbing up to the left. Once you've climbed up, stay high and you'll be running alongside the road, back to the Summerhill woolshed and carpark.

From here, it's back across the Papamoa Hills and all the way back down to your car.