Raetihi

Raetihi is a small town 11 km from the neighbouring town of Ohakune in the Ruapehu District of the central North Island of New Zealand. Near the beautiful Tongariro National Park, it boasts amazing views of the three sacred volcanoes of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, and is a base for skiing and hiking in the park.

Understand

A clubhouse in Raetihi

Formerly a forestry milling town, tourists now flock to the region to explore the outdoors in all seasons. Accommodation in ski season is usually a little cheaper than in the ski centres. Differing from neighbouring towns, Raetihi has many activities outside of the ski season, including the infamous Raetihi Gutbuster bike/run/walk.

Get in

By bus

• Intercity has a daily service from Auckland and from Palmerston North. You can use this for the ten-minute trip from Ohakune.

Get around

Raetihi is small enough that the entire town is walking distance of the main shopping street, Seddon Street.

Crossing over State Highway 4 from Seddon Street leads on to the Raetihi Ohakune Road and a 10-minute drive to Ohakune.

See

Waimarino museum

• 1 Dinosaur House, 102 Seddon St, ☏ +64 6-385 3344. Tu-F 10AM-4PM Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. A collection of over 100 dinosaur skeletons and models, which may be of particular interest to children. $12. (updated Jan 2022)
• Glow Worm Grotto. All year round. (updated Nov 2015)
• 2 Mount Ruapehu. Unless you visit Raetihi with your eyes shut, you won't miss seeing New Zealand's largest active volcano. (updated Nov 2015)
• 3 Waimarino Museum, 101 Seddon St, ☏ +64 6-385 4685. Sun 1PM – 4PM. Local museum in the old railway station, with an old jail and police stables. (updated May 2018)
• 4 Whanganui River. (updated Nov 2015)

Do

Raetihi

• Raetihi Gutbuster. April; Easter Sunday. Mountain bike and run challenge (updated Nov 2015)
• 1 Raetihi Royal Theatre. All year round. Built in 1915. (updated Sep 2020)
• Makotuku River Track. All year round. Escape the village and take a serene walk along the river track (updated Nov 2015)
• Raetihi Country Market. Most months of the year. (updated Nov 2015)
• Waimarino A&P Show. February. (updated Nov 2015)
• Waimarino Rodeo. March. The oldest continuing running rodeo in New Zealand (updated Nov 2015)
• Waimarino Art Awards. July. (updated Nov 2015)
• Raetihi Ripper. November. 2 day trail bike ride through open farm land and forestry tracks (updated Nov 2015)
• Raetihi Christmas Carnival. December. (updated Nov 2015)
• Hiking. One-day or multi-day hiking in Tongariro National Park, including the world-class one-day Tongariro Alpine Crossing through volcanic landscapes. (updated Nov 2015)
• Skiing. In winter, go ski Mt Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park, the main ski area in the North Island. 

Buy

• Barbed Wire Gallery, 80 Seddon St. (updated Nov 2015)

Eat

• 1 Angel Louise Cafe, 48 Seddon St (turn off state highway 4 into the town along Seddon St), ☏ +6463854976, angellouisecafe@gmail.com. Breakfast served 7:00AM to 11:00AM and lunch 11:00 to 3:00PM. New Zealand café with excellent coffee, cabinet foods and a full menu for breakfast and then lunch. From $4.50. (updated Mar 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Heartlanz Motor Inn, 7 Seddon St. Motel with some cheaper hotel bedrooms. Cafe offering takeaways from $10. Motel from $145, hotel from $45. (updated Oct 2017)

Go next

• National Park Village
• Ohakune
• Tongariro National Park
• Turangi
• Whanganui