Hunterville: Huntaway Tradition and Greenway Trails

Hunterville combines a strong Huntaway tradition with historic buildings and walking tracks nearby. This offers a range of options for planning your trip: you can focus on the festival and the town’s history, or make time for trails through forests and reserves. Which holiday accommodation suits you therefore also depends on which aspects of Hunterville you would like to experience.

Huntaway Tradition and Festival

Hunterville celebrates the Huntaway working dog and its role in sheep farming in the hill country of the Rangitīkei region. This connection is celebrated at the Hunterville Huntaway Festival, which has been held in Hunterville since 1998 and takes place each year towards the end of October. The festival is led by the Shepherds’ Shemozzle; the programme also includes other races and competitions. If you are interested in local traditions and events, this offers a special reason to visit. As the festival takes place every October, it is worth planning your travel dates around it.

Architecture and Local History

A prominent building in the townscape is the former Hunterville Post Office. Completed in 1903, it is considered an outstanding example of public architecture in the Edwardian Baroque style. Buildings in this style are rare among Hunterville’s public buildings; the former post office stands out as a dominant feature of the townscape. It offers a tangible point of interest if you are interested in architecture and the town’s built history.

The Hunterville Settlers Museum is located in the former courthouse on State Highway 1. Its small collection of local buildings includes a barn, a blacksmith’s workshop and Roper Cottage. The museum is open on Fridays from 2 pm to 4 pm and by appointment. You can take these opening hours into account when planning a museum visit. The Huntaway statue in Queens Park also pays tribute to the breed and Hunterville’s agricultural heritage. The sheep sculptures on Bruce Street make good photo stops.

Forest Trails and Nature Nearby

McPherson's's Bush offers three walking trails, with walking times of 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 1 hour. These different walking times give you several ways to tailor your walk to the time available. Pryce's Rahui Reserve also has three walking trails, with walking times ranging from 20 minutes to 1 hour. If you are looking for a longer walk, Laird's Reserve in the Turakina Valley has a loop track with a walking time of 1 hour. The reserve is on Mangahoe Road, 10 km west of Hunterville.

The Bruce Park Loop Track is about 5 km south of Hunterville. This easy loop, suitable for small children, follows a figure-eight route through a remnant of podocarp and broadleaf forest. Along the way, you will see impressive rimu, tōtara and kahikatea trees. Visitors can spot kererū, tūī, bellbirds and fantails there; with a little luck, long-tailed bats may also make an appearance. Nearby Bruce Park, just south of Hunterville, also offers free, family-friendly Kiwi Guardians treasure-hunt activities. The combination of an easy loop track, forest and treasure hunts may be especially appealing for an outing with small children.

What experiences would you like to shape your trip?

If you are mainly interested in discovering the festival, Huntaway history and local architecture, focus on the experiences in Hunterville. For a trip with more time outdoors, the different trails and natural surroundings offer other options. Hunterville Domain on Paraekaretu Street has a swimming pool and adds another place to visit in town. When choosing your holiday accommodation, consider which of these interests matters most for your trip.

If you would like to add other destinations to your travel plans, explore Taihape too.

For the wider travel overview: Rangitikei District.