Wairoa Hospital – Emergency Department
Wairoa Health
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
36 Kitchener Street, Wairoa 4108
Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk · Checked October 2026
Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 111 and PLBs
How to call for help with little or no phone signal, the nearest hospital for each of the 4 stages, and the rules for Te Urewera: bookings, fees, camping, water, dogs and hunting.
In an emergency call 111 from any phone. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: NZ Police run land search and rescue, usually with a rescue helicopter. There is little or no mobile coverage on most of the track, so in a life-threatening emergency activate a personal locator beacon (PLB). Say which stage you are on, the nearest hut or campsite and, if you can, your GPS coordinates.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 111 | Police, ambulance and fire, free from any phone, 24/7. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: they run land search and rescue. |
| 105 | NZ Police non-emergency line, free, 24/7, for example to report an overdue walker who is not yet in danger |
| 0800 611 116 | Healthline: free medical advice from a nurse when it is not an emergency, 24/7 |
| 06 837 3900 | Te Kura Whenua – Te Urewera Visitor Centre at Te Karetu: track conditions, alerts and transport, 8 am – 4.30 pm daily |
| 07 312 9659 | Te Uru Taumatua (Ngāi Tūhoe), who care for Te Urewera and its tracks |
There is little or no mobile signal on most of the track, so carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) and use it only in a life-threatening emergency; beacons can be hired in New Zealand before you travel. Deaf or speech-impaired visitors can register for 111 TXT with NZ Police. Leave your plans with someone you trust, check the forecast and the Te Urewera alerts before you start, and do not cross flooded streams.
Rules to know
- Book every hut and campsite night online with DOC before you start, all year, for everyone in the group including children. Without a valid booking you may be fined or turned away from a full hut. Camping is allowed only at the Great Walk campsites.
- Fees for 2026/27, per person per night, all year: huts $35 adult, $18 child; campsites $19 adult, $9 child; NZ infants (0–4) free. NZ and international walkers pay the same here. Backcountry Hut Passes and Campsite Passes are not valid.
- There is no fee to enter Te Urewera. Since 2014 it is a legal entity, not a national park, governed by the Te Urewera Board and cared for by Te Uru Taumatua (Ngāi Tūhoe). Tūhoe wardens stay at the main huts in summer.
- Huts have no gas cookers, lighting or toilet paper, and nothing is sold on the track. Bring a stove, fuel, torch, toilet paper and all your food, and carry out all rubbish.
- Boil, filter or treat all water. The tank at Panekire Hut can run low in summer, so carry enough water for the climb.
- Dogs and other domestic animals are not allowed on the track. Hunting is by permit only, and no firearm may be loaded or fired within 500 m of the Great Walk.
- Weather: heavy rain, strong wind and snow on Panekire Bluff are possible in any month, and streams rise fast. Carry full waterproofs and warm layers, and wait for flooded streams to drop.
- Transport: the track is one way and the ends are about 30 km apart by road. The Waiwai Xpres water taxi runs between Te Karetu, Onepoto and Whananui (about 5 km before Hopuruahine), usually from October to April only; the Tira 38 shuttle runs by road to Onepoto and Hopuruahine. Book both before you start.
- Roads and parking: SH38 has about 90 km of gravel between Murupara and Tuai (4WD or SUV recommended) and had repair closures in 2026, so check NZTA. Park free for up to 10 days near the Holiday Park entrance; the Hopuruahine Landing road is not suitable for 2WD cars.
- Clean your boots, tent and gear before you arrive to stop pest plants and freshwater pests spreading. Respect Te Urewera: take only what you need and leave campsites as you found them.
Nearest hospital for each stage
| # | Stage | Hospital (24/7 emergency) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onepoto → Panekire Hut | Wairoa Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 2 | Panekire Hut → Waiopaoa Hut | Wairoa Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 3 | Waiopaoa Hut → Marauiti Hut | Wairoa Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 4 | Marauiti Hut → Hopuruahine | Wairoa Hospital – Emergency Department |
Hospitals
Hawke's Bay Hospital (Fallen Soldiers' Memorial) – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
398 Omahu Road, Camberley, Hastings 4120 (ED entrance off Canning Road)
Gisborne Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
421 Ormond Road, Riverdale, Gisborne 4010
Rotorua Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 3, 4
Corner Arawa Street and Pukeroa Road, Rotorua
Pharmacies, cash and supplies
- Pharmacies:
- ATMs:
- Shops:
- Shuttle and water taxi stops:
There is no pharmacy at the lake or on the track, and New Zealand has no duty-pharmacy rota. The nearest pharmacies are in Wairoa, about an hour by road. Bring all your medicines, blister care, sandfly repellent and water treatment. The huts have no power: carry a power bank.
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Have the nearest help on your map, offline
Outest shows these hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs and stops on the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk map, offline, together with the route, water and places to sleep.